Bristow Photos

[griffothefog]

I didn't realise it was several pics mashed up :cool:
I have flown the 205 but couldn't work out the windows...
Thanks Sas, at least I never got shot at in one :ok:
Back to my rock and the 139.....

[SASless]

BTC.....if you flew later model aircraft they did.:E

[OMONEZ]

Also a flat bulkhead at the face of the main pylon. Very clear when you look at the mast.

[mtoroshanga]

I cannot believe you call yourselves helicopter pilots and don't know the difference between a Bell 204 a205 and a 212
Try reading up or ask SASless!!!

[Dave Ed]

Just to clear up any confusion!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell204-5.jpg




.......and this is a.............?


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/bellsky.jpg

[helimo]

S76B205 :ok:

[Fareastdriver]

Why didn't somebody make that? It would have taken over the world.

[terminus mos]

They are. Bell is already marketing it.

Isn't it going to be called the 525 Relentless?

[heli1]

Terminus mos....you beat me to it! A stretched 414ST.

[SASless]

If you cannot recognize a Bell 204/205/212 or an S-76 Stretch......well....it does make one wonder where you got your training!

[griffothefog]

Got mine in the states m'lud.....:E
I have however seen some real life helos patched up with similar type sellotape and put out on the line :oh:

[Dave Ed]

Aberdeen 1


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Aberdeen/firstoilletter.jpg



I have probably posted a few of these 31 pics before but this will add all the straggler pics and a few people.
As usual the info is a bit dated and things have probably moved on a bit!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Aberdeen/mapuk_abbs.jpg


At its peak the Bristows base at Aberdeen was probably the largest commercial helicopter operation in the world.
Located on the East coast of Scotland, Aberdeen airport was chosen as a base to serve the booming North Sea oil fields, and if my sources are correct, the first flight took place on July 26th 1967 with a Whirlwind WS55 flight out to the Hambros rig.


This picture was probably taken around 1990 and shows the three main hangar complexes and terminal building. Being based at a commercial airport enables offshore workers to fly in from their home airports and transfer smoothly to the rig flights.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Aberdeen/abbs1.jpg





28 aircraft can be counted in this photo with the A.S.332L Super Pumas dominating the proceedings with a fleet of approx. 22 in 1989. Many modifications were made to the Super Pumas to bring them up to the Bristow standard and this led to the nickname "Tiger" being adopted.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Aberdeen/abbs2.jpg





Again a "Tiger" trying to hog the limelight with a few S61Ns and a S76 in the background. Over the years most of the larger Bristows types have operated out of Aberdeen i.e. ( Whirlwinds, Wessex, Puma, Bell 212, Bell 214ST, S61, S76 and Tigers ).

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Aberdeen/abbs3.jpg



The Bristow terminal is more akin to a regular airport departure lounge with check-in desks, snack bar, a news stand, security and custom services, offices for customer representatives and video lounges ( for safety briefings ) and in 1989 was handling 40,000 passengers every month.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Aberdeen/abbs4.jpg


At its peak, approximately, 45 medium / large helicopters were operating out of Aberdeen averaging 50 - 60 flights per day and a record of 86 flights one Christmas.
The installation shown is a typical North sea rig served by the Bristow fleet and when the "Tigers" were introduced a direct flight to the Magnus oil field was made possible creating a leg of approx. 280nm.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Aberdeen/abbs5.jpg



This map shows the U.K. sector Northern North Sea oil fields the majority of which were served from Aberdeen by one of the two big helicopter operators, Bristows and Scotia.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Aberdeen/oilfields.jpg



Inevitably, as exploration slowed, offshore shift changes reduced, new installations with fewer workers etc. etc., the requirement for aircraft reduced, which has led to the "down-sizing" of the operation. It is unlikely there will ever be a base as busy as Aberdeen was in its heyday and maintaining such a high quality service in the face of some of the most hostile weather conditions in the offshore arena is a credit to the staff that have manned the base over the last 40+ years.


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[Dave Ed]

Aberdeen 2


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http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Aberdeen/214st.jpg




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[Dave Ed]

Aberdeen People


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[Dave Ed]

Beryl 'A', North Sea


A fairly short term contract based on the Mobil offshore rig Beryl 'A' providing inter-rig shuttling and SAR cover.
Operational January - June 1988.

A nice shot of the Beryl 'A', the accommodation being below the helideck.
Work rota 2 weeks on - 2 weeks off.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Beryl%20A/beryl1.jpg


Just the one machine involved - Bell 212.
G-BIXV seen here on the pad with Graham Conway.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Beryl%20A/beryl2.jpg


There was no hangar on the rig and the aircraft was pushed to one side to make room for other visiting aircraft. Minor maintenance could be
carried out on the rig but anything that involved better facilities was carried out at Unst.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Beryl%20A/beryl3.jpg






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[Dave Ed]

Channel Islands

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Channel%20Islands/map_channelislands.jpg




For a time The Channel Islands used to be the most the common detachment for Bristow engineers based at Redhill including myself who spent a leisurely weekend ( 9-10 Feb 2002 ) on Guernsey sorting out a weather radar defect on the corporate S76 below.


A common visitor to Redhill, G-BYDF was based in the Channel Islands but was supported by Bristows Redhill.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Channel%20Islands/brecqhou76.jpg


As I mentioned above I was in Guernsey working in the Aigle hangar being assisted by Roger Sweet who had been working at the airport for twenty eight years and can remember a number of occasions when Bristows operated around the Islands. He provided the pictures and info below.


On Christmas day 1973 any surfers in the water would have been surprised to have been joined by the huge cargo ship, Elwood Mead, which ran aground on one of the offshore reefs, west of Guernsey on her maiden voyage from Australia. She remained stuck for 61 days before being refloated.Bristow Wessex G-ATBY assisted in the salvage operation.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Channel%20Islands/guernsey3.jpg





Now we might need confirmation on the two Widgeon Pictures. They are not in Bristows colours but Roger thinks they were Bristow operated, delivering items such as newspapers around the Islands - only for a short time though. This one is G-ANAL!!! Probably not a registration you would choose today.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Channel%20Islands/guernsey2.jpg




As above but registration G-AOAJ.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Channel%20Islands/guernsey1.jpg



Other Bristow aircraft seen at Guernsey include:

August 1972 - Wessex G-ATCA - hauling cement out to a damaged sea beacon.


February 1973 - S61 G-AZRF - mission unknown.


December 1975 - S61 G-BAKB - mission unknown.

December 1985 - AS332Ls G-BMCX and BMCY - Crew training Japanese military pilots - a summit meeting was going to take place in Japan and heads of state, including Maggie Thatcher, were to be ferried around in Super Pumas.

February 1987 - S76 G-BISZ - Crew change on oil rig "West Vision" which was being towed up the Channel. New crew flown in from Norway to Guernsey and "old" crew flown back in Convair 580.

[heli1]

Oops ...not Widgeons above but Dragonflys.More on these to follow once I check the histories but I know G-ANAL was re registered ,for obvious reason!

[SASless]

Would have thought several big name Rock Stars would have leaped at the Registration or has the CAA retained for their very own?

[Tail-take-off]

Would have thought several big name Rock Stars would have leaped at the Registration or has the CAA retained for their very own?



I know this is tongue in cheek but, in the uk, once a registration has been used by one aircraft it can't be used by another. although each aircraft can be re-registered with as many identities as you like each previous registration is retained for it's sole use.

[SASless]

The CAA and its Rules.:confused:

[heli1]

Now I've checked it doesn't seem either of the Dragonflys were operated by Bristow.
G-ANAL ( later G-ANZL ) was registered to the Evening Standard in June 1953 and maintained at Blackbushe by Silver City. It was re registered in March 55 which helps date the photo.

G-AOAJ was built in April 55 ,retained by Westland for their training school and written off in October 56.

[Tail-take-off]

There is a reference to G-ANAL in the book "Leading From the Front" but it merely states that Alan Green flew it on publicity stunts for the Evening Standard & used it to bulk deliver newspapers. There is no reference to it being owned or operated by Bristow although there is a photo of it.

[Democritus]

..... but it merely states that Alan Green flew it on publicity stunts for the Evening Standard .......

Alan Green interviewed me at Redhill when I went for an interview for a flying job with Bristow in the summer of 1965, three years before I left the military. He offered me a £500 retainer if I agreed to join them when I was a civvie plus a salary of (I think) around £1800 per annum. How times have changed!

[Tail-take-off]

Captain Jean-Christophe Vuylsteke passed away on Saturday 18th January 2014.

Jean-Christophe was a highly respected and valued Line Training Captain who has been a member of the Bristow team for many years. Jean-Christophe joined the Company as a Cadet at Redhill and has supported Bristow’s operations around the world, most recently in Scatsta as an S92 Line Training Captain.

Jean-Christophe will be sorely missed by all his friends and colleagues at Bristow.

The funeral is being held on Saturday 25th January 2014, 10.30am, at the Church Saint Georges, Place Ernest Dubois 2, 1390 Grez-Doiceau (around 40km from Brussels).

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z74/Tail-take-off/HP24.jpg

Jean-Christophe (far right)

[SASless]

Sad news......taken way too young!

[C.C.C.]

R.I.P. Babee

[Ikoyian]

Sorry to hear about Jean. I worked with Jean at Texaco Warri back in 89 and he was a real character. I will remember him for always being light hearted and both of us restoring Nortons in his house. As a real adventure, we drove an old VW beetle to Benin city from Warri to get parts for the bikes, something you would never do today.

I met him again briefly at Scatsta and he was just the same displaying humour as always.

Sorry to read that he has departed, you always think you will see colleagues again, but this comes as a shock to me. As was said, taken too young.

[Dave Ed]

Brands Hatch/Silverstone


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Brands%20Hatch%20-%20Silverstone/bimap.jpg


For one day every year, Silverstone becomes the U.K's busiest heliport as thousands flock to see the British Grand Prix. To avoid the horrendous traffic congestion many people take a short hop to the track by helicopter. Bristows have supplied numerous aircraft over the years including Bell 206s, S-76s, S-61s, Tigers and 214STs.
Not sure whether this is still the case.


An S61, Tiger and two S76s can be made out in this photo taken at the circuit.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Brands%20Hatch%20-%20Silverstone/silverstone3.jpg


One of the satellite landing areas.
The local residents are appeased by offering a guided tour of a Tiger.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Brands%20Hatch%20-%20Silverstone/silverstone4.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Brands%20Hatch%20-%20Silverstone/214sunset.jpg




Before Silverstone, the British Grand Prix was held at Brands Hatch and due to better road access, helicopter transfers were far fewer.
However Bristows did have a presence in the form of a casevac Tiger as can be seen in these pictures.
My sources tell me that this aircraft airlifted Jaques Lafitte to hospital after a serious crash.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Brands%20Hatch%20-%20Silverstone/silverstone.jpg





http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Brands%20Hatch%20-%20Silverstone/insidetiger.jpg

[Fareastdriver]

We did a shuttle with a 76 in the last year of Brands Hatch because I flew it with Dave Duncan.

The first year at Silverstone was a small, up to 76/WG30 size on the northern side. The circuit was packed with R22s up to Hughes 500s and the best place to view the approach was from behind a truck. I loss count of the avoiding actions I had to take. I can remember James Hunt, with a dollybird om each arm, asking me to fly him back to his hotel.

The following year was bigger with S61s and the specialist heavy airstrip. We were accommodated in Lawrence Bristow’s old boarding school and we slept in dormitories in 5’6” beds designed for fourteen-year-olds.

The next year was even bigger with Tigers and 214s as well. At the end of the day we all ended up at Newcastle Airport Hotel. Aberdeen were having trouble manning the next days’ flying programme so it was faxed down to Newcastle where the Chief Pilot and Operations Manager worked out the programming late at night detailing the crews for the early morning take offs.

I always used to watch the race on a television set. Watching supersonic streamlined roller skates hurtling around the track got a bit boring when you didn’t know who was where.

[terminus mos]

"J C Volestrangler" came to North Denes straight out of the Redhill HP Course as the Great Yarmouth Amoco Bell 212s were going to 2 Pilot Ops.

Of course, he was an instant professional and personal hit. There will be many who will miss him and his humour and big smile. How very sad.

[soggyboxers]

I was very sad to hear of the untimely death of Jean Vuylsteke. I remember him as a very likeable, earnest young cadet and I last saw him briefly at old WT in Warri more than 20 years ago. As other posters have said, he was far to young to have been taken from us. My condolences to his family. RIP Jean Bebe

[parabellum]

As a real adventure, we drove an old VW beetle to Benin city from Warri to get parts for the bikes, something you would never do today.


I did a short stint in Warri in early 1969, the company car was a yellow VW Beetle, just wondering if by some chance you were driving the same car Ikoyian? - Very long shot, I know.

[212man]

It was very shocking and sad to hear that news last week. Looking at his HP photo, I find it poignant to note that Mark Wake is standing next to him - an absolutely top bloke taken far to early.

[Tony Mabelis]

For Parabellum

Registration MB 5427, and it was Beige!!
Just to show my brain cells are still working...............but should possibly be concentrating on something more relevant!!
Tony

[Thridle Op Des]

Very sad to hear about Jean, a real star, ever cheerful, even in the more difficult locations. I exchanged all my ATPL/A revision flash cards for a nice bottle of nearly Belgian red, I still have it in the 'cellar' maybe this it a time to open it and keep him in mind.

TOD

[Ant T]

Also very sorry to hear about Jean. I had not seen him much since we were at Redhill, but whenever I did he never seemed any different - always cheerful, living life to the full. He will be missed by all that knew him.

[SimonK]

RIP Jean, truly terrible news and you will be sorely missed.

I flew with "babee" a few days before he died and then flew out of the Shetlands with him, sharing a quick drink at Aberdeen airport whilst we waited for our onwards connections. Sad to think he passed away only three days later...

He was an out and out character and extremely passionate in all that he did, "later alligator"...."in a while....."

[Dave Ed]

Gatwick Airport


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Operations out of London Gatwick Airport started around 1980 and involved the operation of a number of fixed wing aircraft, primarily an HS 125 and Beech 200 ( Bristows ) and a client's Learjet.

Bristows rented one half of a hangar situated between the control tower and fire station. Operations from this base continued until 1997 and over the 17 years the Gatwick based aircraft were used for general charters, medivacs, company crew changes and company executive flights.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Gatwick%20Airport/gatwick1.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Great Yarmouth


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Another base with a long Bristow history is Great Yarmouth which dates back to the sixties. Once North sea gas had been discovered things really started to liven up with the base operating somewhere in the region of 12 aircraft at its peak.


The base was actually at North Denes airfield and, as can be seen, early operations were carried out with Whirlwinds and Wessex between 1966 and 1981.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Great%20Yarmouth/gyold.jpg





This photo taken around 1989 shows considerable change with a new terminal building to the left and a larger hard standing for the S-76s and Bell 212s.
Other types operating from the base include S-61s, I.F.R. training Bell 206 and a Bell 412SP on sales demonstration flights.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Great%20Yarmouth/gybase.jpg





Yarmouth based Wessex were called upon to carry out a wide ranging variety of tasks including this one which shows G-AWOX helping to construct the base of the Royal Sovereign light tower platform off Beachy Head in the English Channel.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Great%20Yarmouth/gywessex.jpg





After the demise of the Wessex an urgent replacement had to be found and it came in the form of the Bell 212.
The Yarmouth 212s went through an extensive modification programme at Redhill to bring them up to "North Sea Standard" and included the fitting of radio-coupled autopilots. An example of one is shown here - this being G-BJJP posing next to an offshore gas installation. Eventually even the 212 had its day and was replaced by the faster and more comfortable S-76.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Great%20Yarmouth/gy212andrigs.jpg




Here is a photo of the North Denes fleet taken in 1991.
It is interesting to note that some of the S76s have been Arriel converted and some have not.
It also shows the newly cladded hangars which considerably upgraded the base in 1990-91.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Great%20Yarmouth/gy-fleetlineup.jpg


.
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.

[Dave Ed]

K14

A little known offshore contract was for the provision of a fully equipped S.A.R Bell 212 based on rig K-14 in the Dutch sector of the Southern North Sea. The operation ran May-October 1991.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/K14/k14_1.jpg

[Dave Ed]

SAR UK


The info below was correct eleven years ago. Things have moved on a bit since then! Rather than change the tense I'll leave it as it was first written.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/SAR%20UK/map_sar.gif


As can be seen from the map the Coastguard SAR 61 bases are located at Stornoway, Sumburgh, Lee-on-Solent and Portland. The first base to come on line was Sumburgh in 1983 and was followed by Stornoway, 1987, Lee-on Solent, 1988, and finally, Portland in 1995.
All the contracts have been successfully rebid after competitive tendering and are normally awarded for a five year period.

Each base is equipped with a primary SAR machine being fitted out with 4 axis coupled autopilots, forward looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, dual hoists, VHF and UHF homers, electronic HSIs with RNAV and weather radar overlay and numerous navigation systems ( NAV, ADF, RNAV, DME, GPS, DOPPLER ).
Then there are the dual radio altimeters, AVAD (ground proximity warning), mode C Transponder and comms systems including dual VHF and single HF, UHF, FM. How do we fit it all in I hear you say? With great difficulty says I, speaking from experience!
Each base can also call on the services of a back-up aircraft when the need arises although they are not equipped to such a degree.


This shot is of G-BIMU at Lee-on-Solent. The base used to be shared with the military who have long since departed. The building behind the 61 houses the line office, crew room, stores, workshops etc etc.
Both helicopter and crew are required to remain at 15 minutes notice to proceed between 0800 - 2100 and at 45 minutes overnight. Recently I was carrying out a pre-mod survey on G-BIMU when it was called out and it was out running in about 5 minutes!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/SAR%20UK/sar1.jpg


G-BDOC hovering over the remains of "Piper Alpha".


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/SAR%20UK/sar2.jpg

This Sumburgh based machine is ideally positioned to cover the northern North Sea oilfields.

The Coastguard Helicopter's primary role is for maritime search and rescue but can be tasked in an additional role in support of the Police, Mountain Rescue or Fire Service or to assist with patient transfer. The Stornoway machine is frequently required to carry out long range missions into the Atlantic to the extent of their range (245 nm) although this is not carried out without the assistance of an RAF Nimrod as cover for the helicopter and casualty location prior to the helicopters arrival.

Currently based at Lee-on-Solent, G-BDIJ can often be seen, during the summer months, acting like a mother hen to the hundreds of yachts and other small craft which crowd the Solent. The SAR operations have a close link with the local community and each base has endless amounts of press articles cut from local newspapers telling the story of numerous incidents in which their helicopter was involved.
It used to be quite common for TV news crews to fly on missions but recently we have been fitting VCRs to the aircraft to enable rescue footage to be sold on the world media market and hopefully help with funding.


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As part of the contract the SAR crews spend many hours on training exercises and work closely with the other emergency services. This photo shows G-BCLC (currently a standby aircraft) on a typical training sortie with the local lifeboat crew.


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A lot of very grateful people have passed through this door. It is a brave man who hangs on a thin cable over a stricken ship in the middle of a force 8 gale.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/SAR%20UK/sar5.jpg


This shot shows a crewman at the FLIR station. He is controlling the FLIR camera with a small joystick and monitoring the image on a TV monitor housed inside the white box.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/SAR%20UK/sar6.jpg



The configuration of the S61N lends itself to the search and rescue role. The long stable fuselage provides an excellent platform for winching whilst the large unobstructed cabin allows room for the carriage of rescue, safety and survival equipment, and for the resuscitation and first aid treatment of survivors.


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[Dave Ed]

SAR people


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[soggyboxers]

The K14 was an interesting, though short-lived contract. Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij BV, better known as NAM wanted to break the KLM Helicopters monopoly on the Dutch North Sea sector and so put a contract out to tender for a day/night SAR machine, but at a time scale which made it impossible for KLM to certify any of their aircraft and as Bristow, with aid from Shell and new Louis Newmark avionics had pioneered a day/night certified Bell 212 SAR on the Brent offshore operation after a fatal accident on a night SAR in the 1980s, they got the contract. I was pulled out of Redhill FTS and sent up to the Brent for an SAR refresher before being sent to Holland as Bristow was a bit short of LN450 night SAR qualified pilots. In reality, the aircraft was just used for flights from offshore to Den Helder. Because of Dutch regulations we had to spend a 24 hour period ashore once a week. Den Helder was closed on Sundays so we operated into Schiphol and KLM mainline catering supplied us with a superb lunchbox of goodies. We then returned to the K14 and had the traditional Dutch rijstaffel lunch before departing to North Denes and being accommodated in Great Yarmouth at Shell's expense. I seem to remember that it was The Imperial we used as opposed to The Ambassador that Bristow used to put us in. This was also used as crew change day and a hire car would be waiting at North Denes for the pilot going out and he then had his excellent KLM goody box to sustain him for the drive home. The incoming pilot would arrive on Monday and we'd depart back to the K14 to be back there around 1300.
During this time I had one quite exciting flight back to K14 from Den Helder when there was a lot of electrical activity and storms around and the radar kept spiking. I was IMC at night about 30 miles out from Den Helder and suddenly the HF antenna appeared to have a small ball of St Elmos fire on the end, there was a loud crack and we had a total electrical failure. It later transpired that almost every circuit breaker had blown, so we had no emergency lighting, radios or electrical instruments. Using a torch to illuminate everything it was a careful 180 turn to head back towards Den Helder, stop watch running and a careful descent to 1,000 feet in the hopes of getting VMC. In those days Den Helder used to close at night and after our departure the airfield had shut down. Luckily, as the airport manager was getting into his car to drive home, he heard the unmistakable sound of a Bell 212 flying towards him from the sea and had the presence of mind to go back and turn on all the airfield lighting which I saw with great relief from about 2 miles out. The KLM staff got us a hire car and we went off to the sport Hotel in Callantsoog where I met up with a former FTS student, Jim Trott. At that time Bristow had been unable to offer all its sponsored ab-initio cadets employment and had come to an agreement to loan some of them out to KLM.
It was obvious the aircraft was going to take some time to fix, so I flew back to UK the next day.
Once the Bristow 6 months was up, the Schreiner subsidiary, Airspeed took over the contract based out of Texel using a Dauphin C2 (with no SAR capability) effectively ending the monopoly KLM had in the Dutch offshore sector.

[Dave Ed]

Manston

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After the RAF withdrew 22 Squadron helicopter detachment from Manston a contract was placed with Bristow Helicopters Ltd. for the provision of Whirlwind Series III helicopters to operate for a trial period from June 1st, 1971 to December 31st, 1972. This being the first civilian Coastguard Helicopter Unit operating under the direct control of H.M. Coastguard.

Agreement with the RAF on provision of base facilities, both operational and domestic, was reached. The domestic side (i.e. hangar, office, storage, crewroom and safety equipment spaces) fell short of expectations, but had to be accepted, with reservations, in order to meet the planned start date.

On the operational side, however, the Air Traffic Control facility, fuelling arrangements and use of equipment were found to be highly satisfactory.
The operation was linked by a direct line to Dover Straits Coastguard and on the third day of operations, with a scramble time of two minutes, a child was rescued from the sea in the Folkstone area some 16 miles from Manston.


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The contract was to have available, from twilight to twilight, a WS55 Whirlwind fully equipped with radio facilities to keep in touch with land based SAR facilities and mobile units such as lifeboats and ships.


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A nice shot of the Manston team posing with the "Wreck Shield" awarded for the most meritorious rescue.


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A nice study of G-AYTK probably on a training mission for the camera.

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A similarly equipped aircraft ( G-AYNP ) acted as a back-up in case of unserviceability and was based at Redhill.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Manston/manstonaynp.jpg


Compared with the multitude of avionics fitted to current SAR machines the list of equipment, fitted to the SAR Whirlwinds, gives an interesting comparison:

Decca Mk8 Navigator
1 x VHF AM Homer
1 x VHF FM
1 x PA
1 x VHF AM
1 x ADF




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Manston/sandiepubsign.jpg

[Tail-take-off]

The Coastguard pub (http://www.thecoastguard.co.uk/) seems to still be going strong. Unfortunately they seem to have updated their sign.

[Dave Ed]

Middle Wallop


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Following the success of the Royal Navy pilot training contract, which had commenced in 1961, Bristows were then awarded a contract by the Army to provide ab initio training for its pilots.
It began at Middle Wallop on April 1st 1963 and the contract has run, with renewals and rebids ever since (2001). The ab initio training began on Hillers with pilots then moving on to military aircraft.


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Subsequently the Hillers were replaced by Bell 47G4As which were much closer to the Bell 47 G3B1s (Sioux) which were currently in service with the Army and so limited the conversion problems.


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Bristows had to set up the training school at Middle Wallop from scratch and they found the experience gained from the Naval contract extremely useful.


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Initially they had to train their own instructors and had to make sure they were up to the standards of the Central Flying School. Eventually the civil helicopters were replaced by Gazelles.


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As of 1997 the company was providing flying training (both fixed wing and helicopter), air traffic control and the maintenance of allotted aircraft at the Army Air Corps Centre, Middle Wallop. And, subsequently a large contract was won by FBS ( FRA, Bristows and Serco ) to provide joint services basic training under the banner DHFS ( Defence Helicopter Flying School ). It involved providing 40+ aircraft ( AS350s and Bell 412s ) to be stationed at various bases such as Middle Wallop, RAF Shawbury and RAF Valley.


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[heli1]

I remember flying with the Manston unit in 1971.The two Whirlwinds were turbine conversions of a couple of old Navy Mk.3s but as I took only b/w pictures I had forgotten the colour scheme.
I see G-BIMU is still around too,just retired from SAR ops in the Netherlands.This S-61N was with BCAL on the Gatwick link when it first arrived in the UK but is best known for its Bristow SAR work.
Sadly efforts so far to save any S-61N for The Helicopter Museum have failed but I wonder if the new Bristow CEO will be more sympathetic to the cause? 'MU deserves to be preserved.

[Tail-take-off]

I very much doubt any Bristow aircraft of commercial value are likely to be donated to the helicopter museum. The Wessex and Whirlwinds that found their way their were essentially scrap. All of the Bristow S61 fleet that have been disposed of in recent years are still earning their keep in various parts of the world.

[heli1]

Not quite true tto. Although the museum received several Whirlwind airframes,G-AO DA was in excellent condition and still is,whilst the Wessex came via Westland but were also in good Nick.

But should money be everything? The company must have got its investment in the S-61n back many times over since 'MU entered service and a tribute to the pilots and crews who have flown SAR with the company is surely long overdue.It would be nice to think that the new CEO and Bill Chiles might respect that,especially as they begin to start a new era with the AW189.

Looking at the piece on Middle Wallop meanwhile ,I note the museum also has an ex Bristow Hiller 12C.

[Tail-take-off]

Heli1

I completely agree with your sentiments but BHL is no longer the company it was when it donated the aircraft you mention. It is now a large corporation, run from abroad, with a focus on the shareholders.

[heli1]

TTO.......true but if you don't ask........ Enormous PR value to the company and goodwill around their new SARH contract ....and if employees past and present all wrote to the Board too plus a few MPs etc,imagine what might be achieved.
Faint heart never won fair lady and the museum didn't get to where it is now by giving up too easily. Who's for joining the campaign?

[SASless]

There is also the Tax Write Off to consider as well.

[terminus mos]

How would that work SASless?

[SASless]

Some hoops to jump through but Corporate Donations to qualified Charitable organizations can reduce Tax Liabilities.

Corporate Charitable Contributions - Yahoo Voices - voices.yahoo.com (http://voices.yahoo.com/corporate-charitable-contributions-2084505.html)

[terminus mos]

Yes but BPWB and BIMU are not owned by NABU so will not be subject to US taxation treatment.

[pumaboy]

I would like to see OC in a museum as it is one of the Origanal Bristow machine and by far the one a/c with the greatest History for the company and the 61 in general it was also the first fully equipped SAR S61.

[Tail-take-off]

Oscar Charlie would be an excellent choice for the reasons given. However it is no longer owned by Bristows and is still very much earning it's keep with the US State Department (probably in Afganistan).

[heli1]

That's why the clock s ticking on these last two!

[Dave Ed]

Paull

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Paull hangar, 1977.

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Paul Hangar and gate guard.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Paull/kppaull1.jpg


Thanks to Michael Johnson for the following article.


I joined BHL in Nov 68 after leaving the RAF and, after working for Bill Petrie at Redhill, I was sent up to Paull to look after the JetRanger G-AWMK in Jan 69. Paull Airfield was a farmer's field, about 6-7 miles east of Kingston upon Hull in East Yorkshire, used by the Hull Aero Club. Bristows chose to use it as a base to service the BP West Sole gas contract when Tetney shut down in late 1968.

Unfortunately, the morning I arrived at Paull, (one Portakabin & some sleepers ), the JetRanger, piloted by a very young Dave Hogg, was forced to make a heavy landing in the North Sea after an engine failure! The fixed floats were about level with the door handles, and the underside bashed in !! It wasn't me, honest, I hadn't even touched it at that time! Anyway, it was eventually hauled out by a Wessex from North Denes and returned to the BP helipad at Easington gas terminal (just north of Spurn Point, for those unfamiliar with East Yorkshire), still with it's trailing HF aerial deployed and catching on the wires as it came ashore! Larry Coram came over from Grimsby where he lived at the time, and the a/c was loaded onto a truck and taken to Redhill for repair. A month later it was back, as good as new, and flew from Paull 4 or 5 times a day for the next two years, usually piloted by W G (Bill) Holmes who, I am sad to report, has just died in Dec 2001 at the age of 80.
We took on a locally employed labourer, Dave Stephens, ex Army, and I got my Bell 206 licence and became the ch/eng (the only eng. !!) of a patch of concrete in a field at the end of a farm lane. The fuel was stored in an old tanker which stood on some sleepers, and we had to re-lay the sleeper road just about monthly during the winter when fuel supplies came by tanker from Teesport. All good fun when you are young !! The promise of a hangar by a local 'business man' never materialised so BHL had to have it built. Eventually we had a hangar with a small patch of concrete inside it, on which sat the JetRanger, and a strip of pavers stretching out to a helipad.

In 1971 we up-sized to a WW 55/3 Whirlwind G-APRW, again on fixed floats, which meant more concrete, and a tractor to pull the beaching trolley. In 1973 we up-sized again to WS60/1 Wessex, with wheels this time !, which meant extra staff, 7 day week, shift work, etc... we had G-ATSC to begin with but, on 8 March '75, we lost that one in the sea in a snow storm !
Then we had G-ASWI until, in 1980, we lost the contract to Bond Aviation, who offered more modern equipment, working out of the new Humberside airport, and BHL Paull was finally shut down in June 1980.

There were many staff during these 11-12 years as the job grew; originally, ch.pilot Bill Holmes, relieved occasionally by Dick Dorman,( part time farmer / jetranger pilot), and many relief pilots from North Denes including Clive Wright, John Ogden,Tony English, John Waddington, Tim Carbis, Ben Breech, Jim Lawn, etc.........also Jack Brannon as 'plotter'; Resident ch.eng Mike Johnson, with radio covered by Ian Stevens / Wilf Shepherd from North Denes.
North Denes 'chippies' built offices & stores in the hangar, in true Bristow fashion; we had that much kit it was sometimes difficult to get the a/c in! LAEs Bill Nicholls, Malcolm Inness, Jim Willmott, became resident as the job grew; Local labourers over the years included Dave Stephens, Terry West, Jim Biglin, Pete West, visitors included Jack Woolley, Bill Petrie, Jean Dennel, George Arnold, Don Strange, Cliff Saffron, Paul Hill, relief engineers / projects / base inspections brought Frank Chammings, Mike Grinstead, Steve Hogarth (both as greeny & later as pilot), Alan Bowell, 'Harry' Harrold, Andy Hall, Julian Hillman, Phil Turner, etc........

.....and me (Dave Edwards) who, after having joined Bristows two weeks previously, was sent up to Paull with Ian Pearce to fit a third landing light to the Wessex in between Christmas and New Year, 1979. Very bleak if I remember!


.

[Ainippe]

I was in Paul the same time as Phil Turner, had a great time for a couple of months - even managed to start the Wessex during a comp wash. Never seen Mike Johnson move so quickly!!!

[nigel f]

I live near Paull the Beverley Gate Guardian went to the Beverley Army transport museum then when it closed it return to the fort at Paull where it remains with a hunter as a museum piece.
The Fort is about 2 mile from the old Paull airfield, it can be seen on google earth.

[Fareastdriver]

I remember about 1979 when I caught a frantic call from Ops at Aberdeen. Outside was a Puma on spot 4 with its rotors slowly turning. Some engineer had turned the engine for some check and had moved the starter switch from the OFF, through the VENT, to the START position. The engine had fired up and they didn't know how to stop it.

I strolled over to the aircraft and suggested that they put the switch to the OFF position.

The wonders of modern science.

[Ainippe]

As I recall the WX60 had a selector switch in the centre console, as the engine started I though "oh crap" and centered the switch terminating the start sequence. By this time Mike Johnson was up the side of the aircraft and just about to reach across me. Alls well that ends well eh !!!:}

[stacey_s]

I can Imagine a few choice words being expleted!!!

Is Mike still with us?

S

[he1iaviator]

The "off" switch on the Puma doesn't work if you have panicked and turned off the battery first. I believe that was the dilemma that caught out engineers with an unintentionally burning and turning Puma on at least one occasion. :}

[Ainippe]

Stacey, I have not heard anything to the contrary ... anyone else know if Mike Johnson is still about?:hmm:

[TipCap]

I remember taking the first Wessex to Paull with Dick Metcalfe :ok:

[Dave Ed]

Pembroke Dock


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........more from Ken Rowe.....


Pembroke Dock, Wales (Jul 73-Sept73)

(A/C Wessex G-AZBY)
Pilots: - Dick Metcalfe (chief pilot), Rudi Meyer.
Engs: - Roger Leale (chief eng), Don McQuaig, Ken Rowe.
Plotter: - Kedge Goode

The hangar was one of two situated either side of a World War 2 slipway used for launching and recovering seaplanes. The hangars were huge and had not been used since the 1950's. They had enormous blast doors which were impossible to open unless you had unlimited manpower pushing them, which of course we didn't have, so we had to resort to the trusty Land Rover strategically placed to open them. The oil company had tidied up one corner of the hanger for us together with a couple of offices whilst the rest of it was still in a state of semi dereliction. Kedge Goode besides being plotter had the duties of dealing with freight and Pax both in and out. We flew on average about three days a week with the rig being situated about 1Hr 20 Mins away. Whilst we were there it all went with mundane normality.

Don McQuaig and myself arrived at Pembroke Dock travelling in Don's ageing Mini from Yarmouth whilst Dick Metcalfe flew in from Yarmouth in the Wessex and Rudi Meyer drove over from Germany in his Mercedes whilst Roger Leale drove up from Southampton in his Lotus Élan. A reasonable selection of transport one might say. We all met in the Pembroke Dock Hotel where we were to be housed which was situated just inside the dockyard walls. The rig, operated by Marathon, was at that time still off southern Ireland and the site that we were to service was to be situated in the Celtic Sea or just off the north Cornish coast to you and me. As we had a few days before the rig was due on site a few "meet & greet" flights for the local dignitaries were made, as there had been some opposition locally to a helicopter operating out of the dock.

As it was high summer in the middle of the South Wales tourist area there was plenty to do in leisure time. Rudi Meyer, a German, although working for the company for 12 years suddenly announced after a week that this was the first time that he had ever been in Britain and could he bring his wife over. Anyone who has ever known Rudi will know that he speaks perfect English with a public school accent and the only trace of his nationality is his name. None of us would believe him. Apparently he had been recruited 12 Yrs earlier by Alan Green when Bristow's had an operation in Germany and subsequently had always flown from any of the operations he had worked on straight back to Germany. It was the first time that I had met him and some of the stories that he regaled us with about his exploits in South America ought to be recorded so Rudi if you're reading this - get writing.

After 6-7 weeks the rig had finished drilling and was about to move to Denmark and wanted to take the helicopter with them. Redhill asked the complete crew to go, but as it was going to take a week for the rig to get there we were to take the aircraft back to Yarmouth. Roger Leale was due leave and during that time his wife talked him out of going to Denmark.

[js0987]

Rudi was my flatmate in Abu Dhabi in the mid 70's. After he left Bristow, he went to work for Viking Helicopters out of Wilhelmshaven. I ran into one of the German engineers who had worked on Das Island and had gone to work for Viking at Flight Safety in West Palm back in the early 90's and he said Rudi was still with Viking then.

[chuks]

I was just sorting through some old stuff back here in Germany after a spell in the States finally finishing my BA. I found a nice color photo of me as a Dornier 328 Captain, looking very, very pleased with myself.

But wait ... there's something odd about the picture: Flugkapitän G. Burmeister had Photoshopped 5-bar epaulettes into the image, the cheeky fellow!

If I get around to that, I will take a digital shot of it and stick it up here, just to show that we did operate fixed-wing in Nigeria: Dornier 328s, Beech King Airs, an MU-2, some DHC-6 Twotters ... and sometime back in the early 80s I had an air-miss with a Bristow Islander, when I could see that the Bristow pilot was wearing a tie, but I forgot to take a picture of that.

[Dave Ed]

Redhill, Main Hangar


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A lot of pics I've probably posted before and the info was correct as of 2002.


Redhill, Main Hangar.......you either loved it or hated it. Many engineers ended up here during their "corrective training".
Personally, I was lucky enough to be involved in many interesting and varied projects although the organisation of most of them drove me close to resignation more than once!
My wife, Jan, also worked there in the IT department but I didn't meet her until she ended up working behind the bar in my local pub!!!


Around the mid-seventies a new head office was constructed at Redhill Aerodrome, in Surrey. Bristows had been operating here for many years from some of the older hangars on the airfield and it was decided to combine the office block with a new relatively large hangar.

During the last 25 years, Redhill's main hangar has been involved with heavy maintenance, line maintenance, major epairs and modification programmes on Bristow aircraft as well as customer machines. The scope of work carried out has been immense, from the smallest scheduled maintenance inspection up to Search and Rescue conversions and major accident repairs.

With its on-site C.A.A. approved design office, sheet metal department and avionic workshop the hangar has been able to carry out industry leading modifications such as I.H.U.M.S. ( Integrated Health and Usage Monitoring System) and the Dual Hoist fit on the S.A.R. Sikorsky S-61s.

This photo shows the base layout. The building with the blue door now houses the sheet metal and avionic departments. For many years the Bristows empire was controlled from the offices behind the hangar.


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A 1977 picture showing a couple of Bristow Bell 212s, a Beech Baron and ex Ghanian or South African Wessex.

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A Guiness Book of Record attempt at seeing how many Bell 212s can be squashed into a fixed area. These were ex- Iran machines after the pull-out, and apparently all arrived over one weekend.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Redhill/redhillmh4.jpg




Yet another typical Redhill Main Hangar collection, a couple of Bristow S76s, a customer Super Puma and of course the everlasting Bell 212s which, incidentally, is what I worked on the first day I joined Bristows in 1979.

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Redhill Aerodrome before the main office block/hangar were constructed. At this time Bristows operated from the hangars on the left.

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Remember modifying this one at Redhill.....


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To be continued.........................

[Phil Kemp]

Couple of comments about the Redhill post.

The Wessex in the hangar was an ex Ghana Air Force Mk. 53, which was an almost identical configuration to the commercial Wessex 60 operated by Bristow, and eligible for conversion. There were two of them, and this was the second one, that was eventually completely rebuilt from the ground up and ended up going to Skye, I seem to recall. When the rebuild started, someone had stolen the dataplate and there was a massive panic in the hangar trying to resolve this issue - it was a nice ship when it was finished.

Also in that picture is BGB after undergoing a crash rebuild, and the 212 in the foreground is G-BFES which rolled over, offshore. They painted United Helicopters on the tail at one point for a Flight International tour and article about the US operations. We were ordered to install the twin-pac as there was inadequate visual progress (according to Bill Petrie) on the aircraft, and every night on the night shift, we would hoist it out and complete all the fuel call and engine deck installations, before sticking it back in in the morning and going home. As a result, the day shift couldn't work on it, so it took twice as long to complete!

The Beech Baron is G-APUB, belonging to Sir Douglas Bader, that used to be maintained there.

Bill Denman is the one doing the Broadway song and dance number on the top of the row of 212's.

I can't recognize the guys working on the Whirlwind, but do recall Joe Bowell telling me a stroy about completing an aircraft in one of the old hangars, in a rushed preparation for an overseas contract. They finally got all the ground and flight tests completed, and pushed it into the hangar for a dawn takeoff the next morning. Once they got the ship inside, they couldn't get the hangar doors to close properly and couldn't figure out what was wrong with them, so kept opening them and pushing them harder and faster to get that last foot of closure. Someone then looked up and realized that the end of a Main Blade was sticking out through the door and they had just destroyed it with their increasingly strenuous efforts to get it closed. Quick change and quick track first thing in the morning and it was gone...

Although I was glad to get out of there, I had a great time working there, and worked on some really great projects and got experience second to none in the industry. :ok:

[SASless]

Dave,

My Helicopter flying career ended on the ramp in front of the blue hanger in almost the same exact position the 212 is seen. I landed Huey 509 there at the end of the Season where it would undergo its conversion to the UK Registry and get some Checks done. Flying Lawyer flew from Blackpool to Redhill on that trip....beautiful weather....with a couple of stops along the way. :ok:

I along with more than a few others had our employment with Bristow ended in the Office Building behind the hangar as well.:uhoh:

[Hippolite]

Ah yes, the Skye Wessex, that would have been G-BGWT? Rebuilt in 1979 if I remember correctly.

[Oldlae]

Stacey, Ainippe,


Mike was in the same entry as me at Halton and we met up a few years ago at a reunion, he is live and well.

[Tony Mabelis]

The Whirlwind blade being removed is one of three blades that had to have their tips replaced due to Joe Bowell's cack handed operation of the tracking flag!
It was not a case of hitting all three tips during one ground run, no,... he managed to clip them one at a time in three ground runs!!
All of this happened after he stopped me doing the tracking, telling me that he was the only approved person at Redhill allowed to track blades.

I subsequently did the ferry flight to Warri with that aircraft.

I was present the day the blade got slammed in the hangar doors.
The problem with the old wartime hangar doors was that small stones would jam the bottom track, so when the doors wouldn't close, everybody grabbed a long screwdriver, and bent over cleaning out the tracks, followed by an attempt to get the door to close the last 18 inches.
This proceedure was repeated at least four times, each time the door closed a little more:ugh:
Happy days!
Tony

[ericferret]

Phil Kemp

I loved the reference to "visual progress" reminded me of a Bell 47 rebuild at Dollar's.
After receiving criticism for the lack of progress the engineer in charge Ron said "just before you go give me a hand". We stuck the tailboom on using three bolts with the nuts finger tight and went home. Next day much praise for the massive progress!!!!!!!!

Visual progress the engineers friend and the tool that demonstrates what a clueless bunch some of the managers are.

[Dave Ed]

Redhill cont.


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.

[Dave Ed]

Redhill cont.




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[TipCap]

I have recently heard the sad news that Graham Conway, my first Chief Engineer - Morocco 1968, passed away recently

TC

[Tacho Genny]

Very sorry to hear this bad news.I worked with Graham in Trinidad in 1976.Many times he greeted you at breakfast surrounded by about 20 empty bottles of Carib after being up all night and then would proceed to eat a plate of smoked kippers in front of while you were struggling to wake up and start "Early's"!
A great character and a great Engineer. RIP Graham

[stacey_s]

R.I.P 'Boots' Conway, late night/all night drinking still went on when he came to Eket where I was his Supervisor, great chap and good fun, rest well dear chap.

S

[Ainippe]

Graham was a family friend for 50 years, just very sad news. " Boots" was a great guy and good to work with. One of the last of the old guard !
:(

[Oldlae]

Sorry to hear about Graham, one of the best, I was with him in Abu Dhabi and Trinidad, the all nighters carried on in Abu Dhabi but I don't remember them in Trinidad, he was accompanied there.

[mtoroshanga]

Sorry to hear about Graham, he was one of the best.


I operated the Alouette 3 in South Africa and them Morocco, Greenland then Zagross in Iran.


It originally belonged to Air Vice Marshall Key of South Vietnam and had been shot down then rebuilt at Aerospatial.
It still had bullet holes in the pilots seat!!

[parabellum]

Pretty sure they had the Alouette 3 on Lavan Island, in Iran, during the late sixties, early seventies

[mtoroshanga]

Your right P
That was another place, we had two Alouette 3 in country at that time.

[Rokan1]

R.I.P. "Boots"... It's been a long time since we worked together on the same Operation.

[Alan Biles]

'Boots' and 'Badger' in Duri c.1984. Happy days.


http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l318/AlanBiles_51/Duri1984GrahamConwayDaveAtkinson.jpg (http://s99.photobucket.com/user/AlanBiles_51/media/Duri1984GrahamConwayDaveAtkinson.jpg.html)


May they both RIP.

[Dave Ed]

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Graham%20Conway/fernandogroup.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Graham%20Conway/duripeople3.jpg




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[Dave Ed]

Just found one more......


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Graham%20Conway/gcandjj_morocco.jpg

[AS332L1]

RIP Graham good times were had in Galeota [in between power failures]

[Dave Ed]

Redhill cont.....a few people pics.


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Now, I've either got the date wrong in one of these or everyone changed clothes between pictures!

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[ericferret]

re post 2345

The ladies name appears to be Kate.

Alan Bristow. MD British United Airways - Pictures & Photos on FlightGlobal Airspace (http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/media/hamish/alan-bristow-md-british-united-airways-85873.aspx)

[terminus mos]

Isn't it Diana Moundsdon, Alan's long time partner until the late 70 s when he met Heather? Diana was originally a BUA "Hostess" as they called them in those days.

[Dave Ed]

Redhill FTS

The Flying Training School developed from the naval training programme which had begun in 1962. In the late 1960s as the North Sea operations of the company expanded and twin engined and twin crew helicopters were introduced the need for more and more pilots and co-pilots became paramount. The company therefore applied for CAA approval to give training for the Commercial Pilots Licence - Helicopter.
Early in 1971 the CAA gave its approval having vetted the company's flying instructors, ground school, aircraft, accommodation and subsistence facilities.
With this approval the company started its cadet helicopter pilot training scheme calling it the HP course.

The course consisted of 100 hours on the Hiller and 50 hours on a Bell 206 Jetranger. This met the 150 hours basic requirement. Originally candidates had to have a Provisional Pilots Licence (PPL) and an Instrument Met.Conditions (IMC) rating, though gradually these requirements were reduced.

By the mid 1970s the Bell 47G2, which the company had used successfully in Iran, took over from the Hiller and in 1980 this was supplanted by the Bell 47G4A . The G4A was not as cramped as the G2 and with its Lycoming 540GN engine had masses of power.

Around 1988 the Bell 47s were themselves replaced by the Robinson R22s and a Slingsby T67C later joined the fleet being used for initial fixed wing training and pilot grading.

The Bristows Flying School was unique in that its aim was always to set standards above the required minimum and indeed pass marks were set deliberately higher. The Flying School closed around 1998, a victim of cut backs.

In 1961 Bristows secured a contract to train 32 naval pilots for the new helicopter squadrons on their Commando carriers. They gave basic training on Hillers and converted to Whirlwind 1s.
All but two passed successfully.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Redhill%20FTS/fts1.jpg





An HP course being given ground instruction on a Hiller UH-12

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A nice shot of the whole FTS set-up including Bell 47s and Bell 206s.

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An FTS Robinson R22 in the circuit.

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A bleak Redhill in January 1962 with Hiller 12 and Whirlwind S-55 Mk 1 waiting for their students.

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[Dave Ed]

Safe Gothia

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During the late seventies and early eighties the North Sea oil fields were probably at their most active and this led Shell to instigate a Bell 212 shuttle service to serve the Brent oil field installations and surrounding rigs. The Safe Gothia followed in the footsteps of the Treasure Finder and was also to be found in the East Shetland basin and consisted of a hangar built as part of an accommodation platform and attached to a production platform typically the "Brent C".


Believed to be operational during late eighties and through most of nineties, there were, typically, two 212's in the field and one at Unst for maintenance, changing over about every two or three week's. Shell then decided to go down to two a/c after which most of the maintenance was carried out offshore.


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All aircraft were fitted with NIGHT SUN, LN450 and FLIR 1000. Most of the time shuttles were the order of the day with a standby requirement for SAR duties.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Safe%20Gothia/safegothia2.jpg


Gothia based Bell 212 on a training sortie.

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Bell 212, G-BALZ, departing Safe Gothia for shuttle operations around the Brent.

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Bell 214ST, G-BKFP, on a visit to the Gothia.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Safe%20Gothia/214SafeGothia.jpg

[Grumpyasever]

Being pedantic, it was a "Private" Pilot's Licence that was required pre Cadet Course. Also, I
don't think any of us thought the G4A had a great deal of power, especially coming out of the SouthWest Confined Area on a summer afternoon with a large student! The school closed end of March 1999 and some of us relocated to Helicopter Adventures in California to set up European Training for them and to continue Cadet training for Bristow. It's a long story but surfice to say a successful course was eventually established, Helicopter Adventures relocated to Florida, and was brought by Bristow Helicopters in 2007 to become the "Bristow Accademy" So the history of high calibre CPL(H) training continues!

[Dave Ed]

Shetlands

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Shetlands/map_shetlands.jpg


As with many of my posts, this one is very dated and things have moved on a lot since 2001!

Situated some 200 miles north of Aberdeen the Shetland Islands have played a strategically important role in the development of the northern North Sea oil fields.
As the oil companies ventured ever further North in their search for oil deposits so it soon became obvious that the helicopters being used at the time would be stretched to their limits if flying from the Scottish mainland.

As can be seen from this map of the northern North Sea oil fields the Magnus field is approximately 300 miles from Aberdeen airport and aircraft such as the S61 and Puma would not have been able to fly this leg in one go. It soon became clear that it would be to great advantage to set up a base on the Shetland Islands and Sumburgh was chosen as it was already handling oil support helicopters operated by British Airways Helicopters.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Shetlands/oilfields.jpg


The first Bristow aircraft to operate from Sumburgh was probably a Wessex in 1972 but in 1973 a number of S61s joined the base and as can be seen from the photo Pumas and Bell 212s ( this one in Okanagan colours) were also used.


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Busy day at Sumburgh circa 1978/79.

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The Bristow hanger is the one with the blue roof and the terminal is on the left of the picture. As the operation rapidly expanded, hangars and accommodation had to be provided to keep up and at The Sumburgh Hotel an extension block was added at the rear of the hotel which perfectly blended in with the existing architecture. I think not!
Houses were also built in an effort to persuade personnel to take on the Shetland climate which can be bleak and majestic at the same time with long daylight hours in the Summer and seemingly longer hours of darkness during Winter months.


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Taken around 1975 it is interesting to compare this picture with the one above to appreciate the level of development that was required to keep up with the North Sea oil boom.

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The airport terminal has provided facilities second to none but from its conception the helicopter operators and oil companies had felt they were being forced to take on an expensive option and Bristows would have probably preferred to operate its own facilities.


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Sumburgh has lost all its commercial helicopter operations with various reasons being given. The arrival of longer range aircraft such as the Chinook and Super Puma meant that most of the rig flights could be operated directly from Aberdeen but when Shell finally pulled out and joined a consortium operating out of SCATSTA one of the reasons given was the number of bad weather days averaging 26 compared to SCATSTA's 4.


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The above picture is of S61 G-BCLC which is operated on behalf of HM Coastguard, this being the standby machine with G-BDOC in the hangar whilst I was surveying it prior to it undergoing an avionic update at Redhill in 2001. These are the only Bristow aircraft based at Sumburgh at the present time.

The move away from Sumburgh started around 1979 with Chevron operating flights out of Unst initially using it as a staging post as no hangars were available. As the hangar and other facilities came on line so aircraft were based there on a permanent basis.


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A couple of S61s in the Unst hangar. I think it can safely be assumed that Unst was the UK's most northern airfield and it must have felt a long way from civilisation in the early days.


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Unst Flight Operations where flights to the numerous offshore installations were planned. The notice board contained details of rig positions and movements because many of the offshore helipads were constantly on the move.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Shetlands/shetlands7.jpg

Another advantage of short helicopter flights is the cost saving as a cheaper seat-mile aircraft can be used to fly the majority of the journey. This Brymon Airways Dash 8 was probably on the Aberdeen - Unst run.


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A muddy G-BFRI at Unst. "It was on the helideck of one of the Ninian platforms when the "mud" pipe to the wellhead burst. The cabin attendant was outside the aircraft when the pipe went and he arrived back at Unst looking like the original flower grader!"


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When construction of the Sullom Voe oil terminal was commenced a small airfield was constructed to transport construction workers to and from the UK mainland.
In the mid nineties oil companies looked to SCATSTA as a possible location to consolidate Shetland Islands oil support operations. They moved from Unst and Shell joined them from Sumburgh in 1999 after a 30 year association with the airport.
Prior to Shell moving to SCATSTA the airfield was given a $3.5 million facelift including runway reinforcement, navaid upgrade and expansion of the terminal facilities.
As of mid 2000 the SCATSTA consortium was operating around 5 Super Pumas ( Tigers).

[Dave Ed]

Shetlands cont.
Final few pics......


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Shetlands/puma_big.jpg




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[Dave Ed]

Sunderland

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Paull/mapuk_sunderland.jpg

On a stormy February day in 1965, a Bristow's Whirlwind took off from Sunderland Airport and flew 164 miles out into the North Sea to the Amoseas' rig "Mister Cap" on the Dogger Bank. Twenty-five minutes later, having dropped off one set of passengers, refuelled, and picked up another set, the Whirlwind set off on the return journey to Usworth.
This was the first flight to carry passengers to a North Sea drilling rig from a UK base, and it marked a new era in the use of helicopters, and a new chapter in the history of Bristow Helicopters.


This picture was part of a "Decca Navigator" advert that appeared in a Flight International dated 27th May1965 and it advertises the fact that the Decca Mark 8 and Flight Log was the primary navigation system fitted to G-APWN which operated the service to "Mister Cap".
It went on to say that this helicopter service had, without question, raised the morale of all those on the rig.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Sunderland/sunder1.jpg


From an old "Esso" publication:
"Members of the rig's crew, wearing immersion suits, unloading gear from a Westland Whirlwind at the end of Bristow Helicopters' first service flight to a North Sea natural gas drilling rig."


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Sunderland/sunder2.jpg

The contract was less than a year and on November 22 G-APWN left Redhill for a 20-stage ferry flight to Lagos!

Back of photo: " The life line of 'Mr Cap' - the Westland Whirlwind Series III completing the longest regular over sea service in the world - landing on a platform 55 feet in diameter.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Sunderland/mrcapgapwn.jpg


......and a great article from Bob Roffe...........

Mr Cap - Sunderland, Feb-June 1965.
By Bob Roffe. (written 2001 ish?)


Mr Cap, Sunderland, Feb- June 1965. Three and a half pages of logbook, 200 hours flying and a few photographs, it just does not seem 37 years since Alan Green and I made the first flight out to Mr Cap (a 3 legged jackup drilling rig) from Usworth airfield Sunderland on Feb 17th, 1965.

This flight was 3 months after joining BHL after 5 years flying in the RN. Alan Green, BHL Ops Director had acceded to my request to be initially married accompanied on my first BHL appointment after over 2 years away in Hermes and Kent. I had made this request at my interview in 1964 where he had pitched all the exciting BHL ops in the Caribbean, India, Africa and the Middle East. Sunderland was a surprise to say the least but this Midlander certainly enjoyed the warm North-East hospitality.
Needing the S55 S3 on my licence, I had visited the BHL operation at Emden to fly with Alistair just before and after Xmas 1964. (Chief Pilot: Alistair Gordon, pilots: Willie Weitzel, John Waddington, Horst Neu and also met the fluid druid Dick Jones). An early example of the flexibility of mind needed in subsequent years was to follow when Alan Green asked me to fudge my logbook and type endorsement forms to show that he had done my 1179H at Redhill on an absent UK registered aircraft! I took the forms and logbook to the ARB in the Strand to be shortly called to an inner office and confess my sins to an officer who advised me that his extremity was a smoked fish if Alan Green had done this flight! I shuffled convincingly and said Alan was a fine examiner and pilot. After a very long pause my licence was stamped and I was despatched with cautionary advice as to my future in civil aviation if I was daft enough to try it on again, and to tell Alan and Pete Richards much G and T was owed!

The first UK North Sea exploration helicopter was G-APWN ( It is now in the Frank Whittle Museum at Coventry Airport, not I regret as a main exhibit, but they have a lot of better material to present ) which in January was being fitted out with Decca at the Air Holdings Group associate company Aviation Traders Ltd at Stansted. The rig had been on location on the Dogger Bank (Sunderland 062M -145nm) since early January, so much pressure was on BHL to provide the aircraft as the very basic workboat (Hector Gannet) took 14 hours to reach the rig.

Les (bentnose) Baker, a BHL pilot of much seniority had been assigned by Alan to hold this new boys hand for the flight to Usworth and help his first civil op. He and I checked out the Decca at Stansted on Feb 12th and we left early 13th in good weather for Sunderland. On this nice Saturday morning the wind intensified way beyond forecast and the deteriorating groundspeed on this float fitted a/c soon dictated re-routing to Leeds/Bradford airport. The intercom was u/s as was Les from the night before and I could see my first flight for BHL ending in a field as Leeds was now gusting up to 50kts. ATC gave us some landing priority and the now light helo only stopped slipping downwind on the hardstanding after shut down when the fuel bowser arrived in front. My logbook shows 3h10mins for the sector!

Alan Green was waiting at Usworth when we arrived 2 hours later with Chief Eng Tommy Menham and greenie Steve Stevens (BHL's answer to Steptoe). A Decca flight test on 14th was followed by windy weather ( we needed a minimum of 55 kts groundspeed to make Mr Cap with 30 minutes reserve) and it was on the 17th that Alan Green and I flew to the rig (decision point 80 miles PNR (point of no return) circa 90 miles). That wonderful man Jack Brannon was Radio/Plotter and everything worked including the rig fuel! Base check signed and pax on the way back - one happy rig and client Amoseas. From then on the normal routine of supporting an exploration contract was week-daily flights plus an extra flight on two crewchange days, for which that very professional part time pilot and chicken farmer Dickie Dorman would appear for the 2nd flight.

My learning curve was steep. An early mistake was paying a debt to an Oily who had lent Bentnose some money in a nightclub, Les was in Nigeria and when I corresponded he had a memory lapse, which only recovered when he flew with me on an Iran operation 2 years later! One fitter wrote off the Landrover. Basing transient staff at Mollys pub in Washington Square, much favoured by the miners from Washington Pit, was in retrospect unwise, such was the hospitality enjoyed by Ginger and Fred.

Operationally, most problems centred on weight (what's new!). With max fuel the disposable weight was 680lbs and Alan Green had promised Amoseas a minimum of 4 pax - not a problem in Bengal but our boys all came in at over 200lbs and one, Bill Kiligore, the Amoseas toolpusher was 280lbs. (Getting him into the two piece Frankenstein immersion suit was a 3 man effort). Thank goodness for fresh Spring winds.

On a PNR (point of no return) operation the reliability of rig weather assumes some importance, especially as the Dogger Bank is renowned for fog. BHL rig minimum visibility was 1/2 mile for the Decca ADF navaids, with the disadvantage of only l cm on the Decca flight log map equalling l0nm at the rig site (15cm for l0nm at the airfield). I should have known it was the rig radio operator Albert's crew change day on one nice April morning at Usworth when Jack received the rig weather over the H/F radio being given as light winds in a stable "high", no cloud, hazy, visibilty 1 mile. At PNR the rig vis was 3/4mile. Ten miles after, 1/2mile decreasing and at 10 miles from the rig , thick fog, 100 yard stuff by which time I was at 40 feet and trailing the aerial in!

With the ASI just indicating and the ADF needle 30 degrees to starboard we crabbed in with the passenger in the copilots seat briefed to shout if he saw anything and the accursed Albert also briefed to stick his head out of his deck radio shack and yell when he heard the helo.To cut a long sphincter puckering 30 mins short, with the ADF ident very noisy, the Decca map needle on the rig, Albert shouting "I..........." and the passenger assuming a spinal rictus position, the rig leg appeared out of the fog requiring some frantic control inputs to pull up and then fast stop over the deck without losing visual contact. After Albert came out of hiding some time later to admit his sins of optimising the visibility and had been picturised with imminent short life expectation, I took him back flying for the first time over solid fog all the way to the coast, surface to 3000 feet.

Albert was to become a North Sea character and was hired by BHL at North Denes in 1969 to be based offshore on the North Star rig when accurate weather was needed for very long range Wessex PNR operations.

On another occasion during lunch at the rig, I was asked by the outgoing drilling crew if I could fly round door side to the rig for photographs to be taken. After take off I duly circled at a low height and was a little surprised to see a fusillade of oranges being hurled out of the aircraft towards the drilling deck. I put this exuberance down to crewchange day and continued ashore to be told over the intercom by the passenger riding "shotgun' in the copilot's seat that the cabin passengers had reached up and tied the bootlaces of his immersion suit not only together but over and around the stub base for the copilots cyclic control stick. The stick had been removed for single pilot operation. After ascertaining that I had unrestricted movement remaining I called Jack Brannon over the H/F with a sitrep and asked him to contact Jack Pillow the Global Marine drilling manager to get to the airport and meet me in 45mins on arrival. This good Texan initially declined as he was busy but rapidly agreed when the alternative of his crew being arrested and locked up by the police was mentioned. The aircraft landed, the evidence exposed and the guilty parties were banned by me from crewchanging by air. After 2 boatcrew changes in rough weather Jack Pillow and I agreed that after apologies, normal service would be resumed for this crew. I later learnt that bottles of whisky had come out to the rig to enjoy on the way ashore!

The first rig casevac was at night on April 11th, and the procedure worked well with the 'heart attack' patient accompanied by the rig medic and we landed as planned in the grounds of Sunderland General Hospital at first light. Jack Brannon, ever alert to the oxygen of publicity for BHL had alerted the media, who were in good attendance as we shut down and I had to move very quickly to the cabin to make the patient, who had had a miraculous recovery en route to shore (the medical powers of a heli ride never cease to amaze me!) get onto a stretcher for the highly visible transfer to the ambulance!

The operation, being the UK North Seas first, attracted much press and television coverage of both the BHL part, as well as the offshore rig element, and I was very grateful to the late Michael Barratt of Panorama when one evening on landing back after a rig flight I had made a very clumsy crosswind landing in front of the large hangar in order to get the aircraft nose in for the 'Dorman and Long' trolley which moved the pontoon fitted a/c in and out of the hangar. As the a/c shut down I noticed film cameras on tripods nearby and the good Mr Barratt approaching. After a short interview, I asked whether he had filmed the landing to which he affirmed yes, whereupon I said this new company pilot would soon be out of a job if the MD Mr Bristow saw my landing on TV, but I would be quite happy for him to film another landing which would be perfect! This I duly did, and when the programme appeared so did the second landing. I still watch the BBC to this very day.

Amoseas cut short its 5 well programme and next, Shell drilled one BHL supported well on the Dogger Bank, which was good news as Shell was the only oil company contract not secured by BHL in the first round of exploration activity as Mr Cap was too small for a BEAH S61N. At the end of June 1965, Mr Cap moved and subsequently burnt out off the coast of Nigeria. G-APWN was ferried to the new BHL base at North Denes and this pilot headed off to Iran with fond remaining memories of Usworth which is now the site of the Nissan car factory. Amongst the many visitors were Alistair Gordon (then N.Sea Ops Manager) Tony English, Alfie Hill and Jack Woolley (Tech. Dir.) who also brought along his father, a splendid silver haired gentleman who had flown Sopwiths and SE 5's in WW-1, a privilege indeed to meet him.

Bob Roffe.

[Dave Ed]

I see the MH370 thread is breaking all kinds of records .....
Some pretty wild and speculative theories out there.


One of the dogs came across this in the garden at the weekend!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Foundit.jpg


Yep, absolutely nothing to do with Bristows!

[soggyboxers]

Dave,
Just a couple of additions to the Shetlands articles.
Bristow also operated S58Ts from Sumburgh for a few years.
The Brymon aircraft operating into Unst were Dash 7s, not Dash 8s

[Upland Goose]

The story by Bob Roffe is so important to the history of the North Sea operations.

I do recall, upon receiving my wings from Alistair Gordon in 1976, he said "you boys are going to the North Sea to fly S61N's. Please do not forget we started the North Sea flying 145nm out, Point of No Return with Single Engined helicopters and if you ask for that now (1976) they will laugh you out of the licensing court. One day you will have to challenge the extent of the 'envelope' again".

He was so right.

A couple of years later flying a Gas Pipeline B206 for Bristow I landed one snowy evening at Sunderland airport, serviced by one flight a day by a Dan-Air HS748 and not much else. I decided that it was prudent to hangar the helicopter and the blister hangar looked the likely place. I rolled back the rusty doors and stepped into the past. Here were the offices all painted in light blue and it was the Bristow base of the 1960's and it was if they had moved out yesterday. It was neat as a new pin. The CP and CE offices, crewrooms and stores were all there and neatly labelled. It was spooky! Sunderland airport is now the Nissan car factory but the little blister hangar is still there. if you are up that way do drop by - the heritage is so important.

Alistair Gordon plucked me from the hangar floor and gave me a chance to fly and enjoy this wonderful business - I owe him everything. I would like to think that we are still trying to extend the envelope - in Bristow IBU, I truly believe we do. UG:cool:

[SASless]

In 1979 we were doing the Teeside-Ekofisk run with S-58T's....still using Decca, Two Channel SAS (seems the Yaw Channel never worked)....single pilot. At least we had a second engine and Monochrome Radar. Fuel calculations were a constant effort as we were always to have onshore diversion fuel.

We also had T-Birds in the Shetlands and out on the Ninian doing the Shuttle. The Shuttle was done with Two Pilots for some reason but not the Runs to the Rigs/Platforms from ashore.

While based at Teeside, I took up Parachute Jumping with the Parachute Club at Sunderland Airport....and flew the Jump airplanes there as well. Many a fine day and evening there with very warm hospitality.....in time I finally got to the point I could understand and speak a bit of Geordy!

[Nigel Osborn]

Dave Ed

I see in a group photo on post 2344 that John Hall is in it. Do you have any idea where he is now or even if still alive?

[76fan]

Dave Ed,


And on the same theme .... is that Dave Paris with the 47, Father Christmas and three children "Christmas at Redhill 1966"? It sure looks like Dave but I don't think the date would match. I think he has done very well for himself in the American film industry.

[John Eacott]

76,

No, Dave Paris was still at school in 1966!

I think this was Mr Cap, many years after it caught fire offshore Nigeria. The harmattan had brought enough sand and seeds down from inland that palm trees were growing on the wreck :cool:

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/Rig%20blowout%2001.jpg


http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/Rig%20blowout%2002.jpg

[Upland Goose]

The pilot with Santa and the kids was Capt. Alistair Gordon.

[Good Vibs]

My guys called it the "Ju Ju Platform"
Last time I saw it there really were bushes and small trees growing on it.

[212man]

My guys called it the "Ju Ju Platform"

We used to pass it on final for the Trident 8 (Sea Eagle there now) and it always struck me that it was not the ideal thing to see just before stepping onto a drilling rig for 28 days! :eek: Probably focussed their attention to safety though :ok:

[Good Vibs]

Some of my guys did not like passing close by!

[Dave Ed]

Treasure Finder

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Safe%20Gothia/shetlandbasinmap.jpg


During the late seventies and early eighties the North Sea oil fields were probably at their most active and this led Shell to instigate a Bell 212 shuttle service to serve the Brent oil field installations and surrounding rigs.
The Treasure Finder was to be found in the East Shetland basin and consisted of a fairly large hangar built as part of an accommodation platform and attached to a production platform typically the "Brent B".

The hangar had an average compliment of five Bell 212's fitted with a vast array of avionics and safety equipment to enable such tasks as search and rescue.
The work rota was 2 weeks on / 2 weeks off.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Treasure%20Finder/treasurefinder.jpg


There were two heli-decks, one either side of the hangar, and the photo was taken from one heli-deck looking through the hangar out to the other. The 212 on the left ( G-BGMI ) is fitted with a " Nightsun " high power searchlight as part of the S.A.R. commitment.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Treasure%20Finder/treasures212s.jpg


A good night shot showing the two heli-decks with a 212 stationed on the right hand one.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Treasure%20Finder/treasurefinder_night.jpg


Note the tow cart still has the BEAS logo.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Treasure%20Finder/treasurefinder_towing.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Treasure%20Finder/5BellsTreasureFinder.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Treasure%20Finder/G-BLDYlandingonTreasureFinder.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Treasure%20Finder/TreasureFinder.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Treasure%20Finder/tfindergroup.jpg

[soggyboxers]

I was one of the Chief Pilots on the Treasure Finder for a number of years. The sophisticated SAR equipment was developed after a fatal accident one night when all 6 crew members were killed when the aircraft was flown into the sea. Bristow and Louis Newmark, with funding from Shell developed a partly auto hover modification for the 212. It was the LN450, which was later fitted to the full auto hover S61s and went on to become the LN400. It was mostly the addition of a Doppler coupled to the flight director and Decca RNAV and enabled the pilot to hover at 40 feet radalt with his feet off the pedals, but controlling cyclic and collective manually, after being given FD directions from a target overhead position (usually derived from getting an overhead from the homer), to descend to 200 feet and run in to wind to the target until a visual was obtained. It required quite a lot of continuation training, which was paid for by Shell. We also got the FLIR fit in addition to the nite sun which we'd had for some years. We had also experimented with some early marks on the ANVIS night vision system, which was n ot particularly successful at the time.
The aircraft were already very nose heavy and C of G problems became worse with the Doppler fit, so Bristow also went ahead and fitted the Kevlar (helium filled) float bottles in the hell hole to help rectify this. For its day, I though the system was very successful and I felt a lot more confident on night SAR call outs in bad weather in the LN450 machines

[Keepitup]

Tim Jones says, "Cheers for that" oh the memories.

Well it gave the engineers here a chuckle, lol.

Keepitup

[AS332L1]

Used to share a room on the Treasure finder with Mr Pedder first a week of nights then second week days change over day was a struggle.

[Boudreaux Bob]

"Wally" who got that name from his all brown outfit!

[Dave Ed]

Leftovers


So, having worked through all the bases I had on the original Skyweaver website, I have about 100 pics left in the original picture files.......


Bell 206ixes


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell206/b.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell206/sandiepkhbo3.jpg






http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell206/jv9.jpg






http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell206/longranger.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell206/206old_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell206/206oldflying_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell206/ferrysea1.jpg

[JimL]

That is me flying G-AWVO over the heli-lanes in London - when we were based in Battersea (during the time that I too used to fly singles)

Jim

[Dave Ed]

Bell 212s


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/212_dubai_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/new212_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/212ditch.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/prakla212.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/matbruneifxmas.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/jod8.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/abbfk2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/abbfk1.jpg
http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/212mtmbsi.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/b212window.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/beas212_big.jpg

[js0987]

If memory serves, VR-BEI already had around 5000 hours on the airframe when I arrived in Abu Dhabi in 1974. Would love to know if it's still flying.

[Alan Biles]

'Echo India is currently flying with Servicios Aereos De Los Andes in Peru as OB-1906-P. Hours unknown.


Early Abu Dhabi sister ship VR-BEJ is currently in Kenya with the British Army Air Corps as ZJ969. Last time I paid any attention to it, it had around 30K on the clock.


AB

[Saint Jack]

Ref. Post #2369, the second photograph (PK-HBO during a refuelling stop) is rather faded, the helicopter is definitely in the red/white/blue Bristow colours, although at the time this scheme was still relatively new. Also, notice that the photograph is printed in reverse - look at the locations of the refuelling point and tail rotor.

The third photograph (PK-HBO again - details anyone?) shows the vessel 'Craestar', registered in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Formerly a Taiwanese trawler converted for seismic work, it was later transferred to the Indonesian register and renamed 'Ratna Sumatera' ('Pearl of Sumatra').

Both photographs are from the Rio Tinto Operation and show typical working environments, the Padang main base was only used for scheduled maintenance and crew-changes, they were probably taken circa 1973. The 'Craestar' was only used for a brief period which was just as well as only a few members of the heli crew could adapt to the onboard conditions - small and constantly moving. Chas Newport (ex RN) loved it while Mike McCormack (ex RAF) was permanently sea-sick!

The Rio Tinto Operation was a geological survey that entailed flying geologists into pre-determined points, usually small rivers or streams, to gather samples for analysis. The prime purpose was to identify commercially viable copper deposits. This analysis was done at Padang.

The full name of the client was Rio Tinto Bethlehem Indonesia (RBI) and this resulted is at least one bizarre event - one day a geologist received a letter from his sister addressed;

Mr. xxxx
Rio Tinto
Bethlehem
Indonesia

Everyone was amazed that it actually got to him!

[John Eacott]

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell212s/beas212_big.jpg



That was the Nordraug, and the infamous trolley with a hydraulically powered turntable so that it could be swiveled into wind for operations. Unfortunately the controls were above the level of the landing pad, so the Norwegians were asked to lower them to reduce the possibility of hitting them.

Instead, they put a guard over the levers. Needless to say one pilot drifted, hooked the heel of the skid under the guard and over she went. Trapped in the 212, the sliding door was too high for him to reach to open, and the front door was too heavy to push open. One of the other pilots jumped onto the (now smouldering) 212 and pulled the pilot out, and soon after the legs of the passenger seats were highlighted to be used as a ladder for emergency escape when a 212 rolls onto its side.

The Nordraug also had no adequate firefighting equipment for the deck, so shortly after the accident a firefighting monitor was installed.

[mtoroshanga]

I think your wrong there John. That's the Sedco704 doing the pipeline between the Claymore and the Piper Alpha. It was the accommodation barge and was putting concrete covers on the pipe at the same time. Was on it 1976 as back to back with Bob Cowan. The trolley was a nightmare!!

[John Eacott]

Thanks: it looked familiar, though!

[soggyboxers]

Dave,

The 'seismic lance' on VR-BGB is actually a magnetic anomaly detector boom. The boom was hexagonal in cross section AFAIR and the box about one third back was the MAD box. There were 4 of the aircraft in Iran for IHAC on contract to Prakla Seismos doing a uranium for Uriran. They also had a groundwave detector in the tail boom which bulged out of the side of the baggage compartment and a skywave detector fitted behind the pilots' seats. Much of the forward part of the cabin was taken up by the electronic bays. There was also a camera pointing down from the port chin window taking a photo every 30 seconds to cross check navigation. The crew was 3: pilot, navigator and electronics operator. The aircraft were fitted with Doppler to accurately measure drift and with Decca TANS. There was no Decca in the mountains in Iran, but the TANS took in information from the Doppler and the navigator kept a constant update of it from his map reading so the pilot normally just had to fly the drift indicator and keep his needle in the middle to stay on tracks. Tracks were typically 150 km long, maintaining 60-80 knots groundspeed (I forget now whether the survey height was 200 or 400 feet agl). At the end of the track we moved 500 metres to one side and then flew the reverse until we had covered all of the boxes the geologists wanted surveyed. Fun and interesting work which came to an end during the revolution when Prakla Seismos were one of the first companies to pull out (which was how I ended up in Nigeria).

[bluesafari]

Indeed that picture was taken on the Sedco 704, over the Claymore/Piper tie in. I was involved in changing A BO105 m.g.b. in that very hangar. I seem to recollect a BEAS Bell 212 breaking a skid on the back edge of the trolley and having to land on sandbags and baulks of timber, I'm guessing that would be '76 or early 77.

[mtoroshanga]

That's right, a night of adventures that one. Someone fell through the pilots roof window that same night and we made a replacement out of L72 and flew around like that for about a year.

[OnandOffshore]

I remember the Sedco 704 well. The corrugated iron hangar was pretty flimsy and when the CAA came out to inspect the operation (probably for the first time), the downwash from the S61 that was bringing them in to land blew one of the hangar doors off & over the side into the sea - not the best start!
We were a happy little bunch there as I remember, mostly BEAS with the odd person seconded from Bristow before the operation eventually became Bristow Offshore.
The trolley wasn't the easiest thing to land on initially because you couldn't see it from the cockpit - suitably placed broom handles visible through the pilot's door window & through the perpex panel in front of the pedals did the trick.
Also some riotous times ashore when we managed to escape for the odd night - but that's another story :ok:

[ambidextrous]

bluesafari/mtoroshanga,
The breaking of both skids occurred to G-BARJ on the night of 10th.January 1977 whilst carrying out the Piper/Claymore shuttle as PNF, my logbook tells me. My last flight with BEAS before disappearing to Norway for seven years. Oh happy days!
With fraternal greetings,
ambi

[mtoroshanga]

If you remember the chief pilot who was an American from Hawaii had the most trouble landing and had the trolley made wider after shift one day then we found it wouldn't go in the hangar!! I rest my case regarding stick to what you know.

[Dave Ed]

Did somebody mention a Bolkow?


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/bolkow_big.jpg

[OnandOffshore]

If you remember the chief pilot who was an American from Hawaii had the most trouble landing and had the trolley made wider after shift one day then we found it wouldn't go in the hangar!! I rest my case regarding stick to what you know.

In those politically incorrect times he was known as 'Nip in the Air' if I remember correctly ;)

[Boudreaux Bob]

"Frosty" was his Nickname.

[AS332L1]

John T........ I remember his first name but his last name something like Tanigawa?

[OnandOffshore]

Correct :ok:
He was a little difficult to understand sometimes: once when flying with him I was asked to operate 'the environmental selection system', which I eventually worked out was the B212 sliding pilot's window.
I also learnt about shooting up things in 'Nam with 20 mikemikes. Oh what fun we had :)

[mtoroshanga]

That's the one- good to hear from you boys. Good Luck!!

[Fareastdriver]

A Little Known Operation

In April 1986 a short drilling contract came up in Haverfordwest, South Wales. One 76, GBISZ, was purloined off Redhill as the sole aircraft. The Aberdeen A team was sent down to pick up the aircraft and run the operation. In charge was Action Man plus two pilots, ably supported by Redhill Hanger’s best..

We operated from offices rented from a one ship plank operator which also included hanger space. The flying depended on the same criteria as Sumburgh in the eighties. You waited until the fixed wing from Aberdeen arrived and then you took them on to the rig. When Haverfordwest was socked in then it would go to Brawdy, just up the road, so no problem for us to shuttle them from there. The rig was only thirty minutes away so you could always go to Cardiff.

Action Man was incredibly fastidious as I found out after my first flight. Whilst I was waiting for the engine wash he presented me with a copy, written in copperplate, of my MSLS to sign. This was because one of the major advantages of my life was that nobody could read my handwriting so I couldn’t be nailed for anything. His role expanded to planning the flight log, filling in the MSLS and doing the compressor wash. In the end all I had to do was pitch up twenty minutes before T/O, climb into the aircraft, do the trip, step out, sign a couple of forms and go back to the hotel.

All good things come to an end and so did this contract. I was detailed to take SZ back to Redhill. The route took me just south of Odiham. my last RAF base, so I thought it might be a good idea to nip into the old squadron and show them my shiny S76. A chat with the powers at Redhill where I explained that as the company was on the lookout for pilots my showing up might be enough for a few to return the Queen’s shilling. This was agreed as long as there were no landing charges. I confirmed this fact with Odiham and it was laid on.

I took off from Haverfordwest and in the back I had one of our pilots and a Redhill engineer plus two bits of Welsh totty off for a dirty weekend in the Smoke. The general track was East and I cleared with Cardiff and then up came Bristol. I flicked through the Aerad and the first one I saw was Bristol, Filton. This I was happy with because the last time I had been in this area was when I delivered a Valiant to Filton in 1965. I called up Filton, gave them an overhead and everybody was happy. Apart from this Shorts Sherpa that went by at right angles about 300 ft below me. That’s when Filton asked me to contact some airfield called Bristol Lulsgate.

There was bit of a discussion and it was apparent that I had erred slightly. Maybe more because it was quite common for amateur pilots to inadvertently brush a Control Zone but I, being a professional, had gone through the whole thing, longways. I then continued to Odiham.

Lots of interest in the aircraft at Odiham. Strange things like VORs ILSs, weather radar and NO oil leaks. The girls had coffee in the crewroom looking slightly shaken. They hadn’t expected to arrive at Odiham via a 60degree/2G/100ft break over the squadron offices. The proceedings were then slightly soured by the adjutant asking me to telephone the supervisor at Lulsgate.

I apologised profusely to him and I thought that was that. I continued to Redhill and then followed a miserable train journey back to Wales to pick up my car.

Two weeks later a call from Flight Safety at Redhill. Bristol had filed an MOR and the CAA wanted an explanation. I wrote the most grovelling apology, pointing out that Lulsgate was over the page from Filton.

They Let Me Off!!!!!! Either it was a brilliant story or they couldn’t make head or tail out of what I was writing about. It kept my sheet clean so that in the end when I retired I could claim forty-eight years of undetected crime.

[terminus mos]

Action Man could be one of the most annoying and pedantic people sometimes.

But he was THE best Line Training Captain money could buy. What he taught me on the S-76 contributed to hundreds of offshore single pilot landings at night offshore conducted without fear (for me), never being short of fuel, always being ahead of the aircraft and could probably have saved quite a few of the lives we have seen lost recently.

He could take the lowest time HP Student and turn them into a first rate FO within a few weeks. I will always have the utmost respect for him as an aviator.

[Fareastdriver]

terminus mos

I will heartily concur with that. One favour he did for me at the end of that detachment was to arrange that all the paperwork would be carried by me to Aberdeen instead of sending it to Redhill in the aircraft. Thia ment that my drive back to Aberdeen was a DUTY trip so I got paid duty mileage for the whole journey.

In those days you could only claIm the rail fare if driving yourself to another operation . Nowadays you would probably be better off to claim the rail fare.

[Dave Ed]

Leftover Wessexes or Wessi?


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Wessex%20black%20and%20white/sandieweshill.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Wessex%20black%20and%20white/jv27.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Wessex%20black%20and%20white/firstwessex_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Wessex%20black%20and%20white/helicoptermuseum1.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Wessex%20black%20and%20white/2ozwessextails.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Wessex%20black%20and%20white/2engwess_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Wessex%20black%20and%20white/wessex60.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Wessex%20black%20and%20white/wessexsea.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Wessex%20black%20and%20white/wessextwr.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Wessex%20black%20and%20white/wessfueler_big.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Wessex%20black%20and%20white/trfailure.jpg

[Ant T]

I think your "Hiller" under the Wessex might be a Bell 47 J.

Great to see all these old photos. Thanks.

[mtoroshanga]

B-Bob
The nip in the air???

[ken knight]

If memory serves me there was an earlier operation at H-West.
There was an S58T based there in the late 70's. Don Hutchins (Chiefy, ex RAF) was the engineer. Travel to H-West was by Peters Aviation Heron I think as was the route to Sumburgh in the early days of that op.
Correct me if I am wrong please.


Ken

[Fareastdriver]

You're right. There were a few thirty-day hole/single aircraft operations daun sauf in the sixties.

[Dave Ed]

Leftover people


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/singagroup1_cn.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/singagroup2_cn.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/srilanka1.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/sandievip3mt.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/sandievip4pa.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/ppasiair1.jpg






http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/puma2group.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/polar901crew.jpg






http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/ppmaggie.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/gfry.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Leftover people 2 of 3!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/polyconfgroup.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/deeps.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/loud_tshirts.jpg






http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/mh1.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/nikpik3.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/cathy1.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/kp26.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/jwooly.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/bugistreet.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/cliveh2.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Leftover people 3




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/cm212course.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/alysgordon1.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/bigal.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/alysgordon2.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/1stiger.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/6bellsir.jpg






http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/abwinch.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/agreen.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/abdi1.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Leftover%20people/3people_whirlwind_big.jpg

[zephyr62]

thats my Dad, Bill Nicholls, in the photo with Alan Green, but not sure who the lady is..

[Dave Ed]

Bell 204 and 5


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/204%20and%20205/cm204oman.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/204%20and%20205/kh205pkhch.jpg

[Dave Ed]

The Police


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Police/222lippits.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Police/policeas355.jpg

[righopper]

Does anyone know if Bristow has operated A109's at any time?

[terminus mos]

No they did not operate 109s

[Tacho Genny]

Dave Ed has done a brilliant job over the past months in posting many interesting articles on the many operations that Bristow Helicopters has been involved in since their first early days right up to the present.

I'm sure I'm not the only one here that has been totally absorbed with reading about all the different operations that have been covered and all the characters (some legendary within the company) that have been mentioned and appeared in photo's. Different operations that before were just places and names on the monthly "Slave List" mean a lot more now!

I don't know if you've finished yet Dave but thanks for all your hard work:ok::ok::ok:

[Dave Ed]

Not quite finished yet TG........and that's just the old website stuff.
Just back from a great week's holiday in Vienna.


So carrying on with the leftovers.....


the Sixty Ones...




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/S61/jwbfmy.jpg






http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/S61/s61_falklands_big.jpg




Blades still turning in this one........!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/S61/sinking61.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/S61/s61tyres_big.jpg

[Dave Ed]

The Whirlwinds


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whirlwind/whirlwind_undersling_big.jpg






http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whirlwind/airwh_ww_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whirlwind/whirlwinds_das_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whirlwind/mideastww.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whirlwind/jv13.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Widgeons


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Widgeon/widgapps.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Widgeon/widgeonpipe.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Widgeon/widgwhp.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Widgeon/widgeon_big.jpg

[Eric T Cartman]

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo354/oldbloke60/Ninian/G-BFMY_1.jpg

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo354/oldbloke60/Ninian/G-BFMY_2.jpg

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo354/oldbloke60/Ninian/G-BFMY_3.jpg

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo354/oldbloke60/Ninian/G-BFMY_4.jpg

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo354/oldbloke60/Ninian/Helideck.jpg

A few pics I took whilst working in ATC on the Ninian Central, sometime between 1/1980 & 3/1982. The ATC cabin is the white hut at the far side of the helideck.

[Dave B]

I suppose that this thread will die, sometime, it would be a pity that all this information will be lost, it's a pity it can,t be made into a book or something.

[parabellum]

It could become a 'sticky', depends what the Mods think. When I can get to the box I have a few from Duri - 1968 to scan and add.

[Dave Ed]

I have the all the pictures on USB sticks, CDs and hosted on Photobucket but the depressing speed technology evolves nowadays all these things probably won't be around in ten years time. Even the JPEG format will probably be a thing of the past.


I am countering this increasing speed in our lives by growing trees from seeds and watching them grow whilst sipping a cold beer under endless Cyprus blue skies :)


Leftover Hillers


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Hillers/hiller12rig.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Hillers/uh12andhh.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Hillers/uh12possindia.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Hillers/mystery1.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Hillers/hiller_redhill_big.jpg






http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Hillers/uh12_3.jpg

[Dave Ed]

A couple of Tigers


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tigers/tigeroncarrier.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tigers/ferrysea5.jpg

[212man]

Haven't seen that photo of G-TIGK before - it will be supporting the 1994 JMC exercise, I believe. Richard Taylor and I are in the front, Tudor Davies and Bill Deacon (RIP) are in the back.

The aircraft was very skillfully ditched a few months later, following a lightning induced loss of tail rotor, by LS and CR. Shortly afterwards, a (spoof) company memo appeared stating that as research had shown that 75% of accidents and serious incidents in the recent past had involved beareded crews, pilots were to henceforth report to work clean shaven...:ok:

[Dave Ed]

A 76, a couple of bars and the final pics from the original site.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/The%20S76%20collection/s76_lgw_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Bars/jv14.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Bars/dungunpub.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/214STrecovery.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/alysgordon6.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/dornier_328_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/pelangi228_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/berylspm.jpg


.....and one from John Odlin's scrap book....


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/cessnacopter.jpg


That wraps up the all the pics and info from the original Skyweaver site. I do have some other stuff to post when I get around to it and one of my Bristow Redhill "operatives" has managed to get his hands on a few negatives......................?

['Chuffer' Dandridge]

I know it's technically a RW thread but has anyone got any pics of the Bristow BN2 Islamders?

[Ian Corrigible]

BKFN (http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/280009-last-b214st-retired-n-sea-ops.html) boarding pic, taken from a story in today's HBJ (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/nuts-and-bolts/2014/04/offshore-helicopter-market-expected-to-surge.html) on a new O&G market study, highlighting "that helicopter providers are beginning to introduce a new-generation of medium-class helicopters."

http://i.imgur.com/7IbhcO3.jpg

Back to the future, Marty!

I/C

[Blackhorse]

Yes, to lose this would be a shame. I was never a Bristol. Guy but I have so enjoyed the pictures and history.

Clint Polansky

[Phil Kemp]

If you're done, then I'll start, Dave.

I have been putting up a lot of stuff on Facebook, but will start downloading them for here. What is the best photo site to use to post here?

[Tail-take-off]

Phil

If they are already on Facebook you may be able to use the images from there. Just right click the images, & copy the images URL. Then paste that into the image link pop up.

Otherwise Photbucket works well as an image hosting site.

[Tacho Genny]

What's the site on Facebook that you've been putting them up on Phil?

[Helilife100]

I would also like to thank Dave Ed for all his hard work in putting these photos online. I have been dipping in every now and then and been delighted with the content and the running commentaries. I had occasion to visit the old base in Redhill a couple of weeks ago and was saddened to see how our once shiny new building looks a bit tatty and crumbling at the edges. A bit like me I suppose. Cierva Rotorcraft taken over by BIH!! Hangar six filled by EBG. No Tiger club, No Heliclub.Wouldn't have happened in my day etc..I had the honour to be working in Redhill from 1973 to 1978 or thereabouts so I remember helping to build the S58ETs and the Ghana Wessae. I was also on the crew that rebuilt the burnt out 212 that fell off it's trolley in the North sea. PRAKLA, changing the hoses on Douglas Baders aircraft, I have so many wonderful memories and worked, drank and learned from so many truly great men and women. I salute you all. We were really something, weren't we?

[Tony Mabelis]

I agree completely about Redhill not being the place it was, there is an old saying, you should never go back to a place that you have once enjoyed.
The Tiger Club and Bristows made Redhill what it was.
Tony

[Phil Kemp]

Tacho Genny; I have been putting them up on my own page on Facebook. I tried putting some here on PPRuNe, but couldn't get the links to work. I have a lot of pictures... :)

I will try the Facebook links and see if they come up. Also do have pictures of a few other Fixed Wing machines at Bristow - I flew in from Gatwick with Harry Spriggs in the Islander when it returned from Zaire or wherever it came from.

Also at Redhill the same time as you, Helilife - worked on may of those same projects as well.

[terminus mos]

I was there too, yes, we were something then, weren't we?

I remember the 7 S58s being converted in Hangar 5 and AZDC and the trenches (earlier in the thread). I remember the tea room in H5, old George Tippit's green Skoda and Sid who used to empty the rubbish. Then in the new main hangar, there was old Maurice Reed in the stores, his expletives out did most. He was an ex boxer and groundsman for the Orient Football Club. You were in trouble if you didn't have a Part Number! Those old guys were characters.

[Ainippe]

Yup, I remember those days when the H34's flew in for the conversion program, spent a long while working on the 58 Program.The trench digging for the S61's so they could get out of the hangar. Sid Coomber was the labourers name - he was always full of expletives! Ernie Patrick was the hangar foreman and Phil Charman took over from him ... or was it the other way round?I also spent time on the Whilwind Tail Booms with Deafy Ward and a few others.

[Ainippe]

Some sad news - Dave Ware the Sprayer died yesterday morning of Pneumonia following contracting COPD. I worked with Dave for many years and have fond memories of those times.If anyone wants further details on his funeral arrangements etc please call Shaun Ware on 07846294946

[terminus mos]

That is sad news. Dave Ware spray painted more helicopters than most people have hot dinners. It was amazing what he could achieve in a weekend. As you say, fond memories.

[jpbwarwick]

The images of 'PWN have been of particular interest, having been responsible for acquiring the aircraft from Cranfield for the Midland Air Museum. However, pictures of it in Nigerian markings as 5N-AGI and Bermudan marks as VR-BER have proved much harder to come by.

Any offers would be very gratefully received and help to compliment what we already know of the aircraft's history from 1959 to 1981.

John Berkeley OBE
Chairman, Midland Air Museum 1972-93

[Alan Biles]

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l318/AlanBiles_51/Wiltshire-20140507-003891_zpsa730ae47.jpg (http://s99.photobucket.com/user/AlanBiles_51/media/Wiltshire-20140507-003891_zpsa730ae47.jpg.html)

[Tony Mabelis]

I worked with Dave Ware in the packing department at Bristows, circa 1961, during my school holidays.
Great guy, we had a few laughs delivering boxes for export in the old blue WWII Bedford truck.
Rest in Peace my old friend.
Tony

[3D CAM]

Alan.... that image is barred.:ok:
3D

[Oldlae]

Sorry to hear about Dave, first met him in the spray booth in H5 in 1969, paint spraying is not the most healthy job especially back then.

[Phil Kemp]

Sorry to hear about Dave. The paint shop in Redhill churned out an amazing number of aircraft, always under extremely short timelines and working around the other maintenance activities that were being accomplished at the same time. Good bunch of guys that worked in there.

[Davey Emcee]

Turn the mug around Alan. I bet it doesn't say "Biles" on the other side

[stacey_s]

Sad news indeed, RIP Dave.

On the subject of Bristows Painters, anyone know the whereabouts of Al Procter these days?

S

[Boudreaux Bob]

Redhill was always a joy to visit....a cheap lunch in the Chow Hall...and Pints with the Lads and Lassie's at the Club! The best thing was seeing folks from all over the World who were passing through, on courses, or who lived in the area.

Condolences to Shaun and his family over the loss of Dave. As you can tell.....Dave was a very respected fellow.

[mogthe1st]

I was very sad to read that Dave has passed on, so many of the blokes I worked with at Redhill and indeed around the world are no longer with us, a reminder of our own mortality I suppose.
My condolences to his family and friends.

[phive]

Yes. too many have passed on but we can't do much about it but have happy memories of those long ago days before we moved into the 'new building'!

Was it Dave Ware who painted aircraft names on S58Ts and others? I remember Castor and Pollux but I think it may have been Dave who didn't know how to spell Pollux - with the obvious result !! "Well how was I to know……?!"

[phive]

One of the photos of the group in the boardroom shows Ernie Perrin on the right. Sadly Ernie died in a gliding accident on 19th June 2014 at North Field in Devon where he was a popular instructor. Happy memories of an always smiling Ernie in Iran in the '70's!

Yes, it is Joe Balint, also on the right. This was probably a meeting called by AEB of all Area Managers and important overseas people about 1977. It was such a good meeting that there was going to be a repeat every year for ever - but in fact it was the last one!!

[rogleale]

Hi Tony,
Think your memory is failing, so young too! It was a condom but not from the Zoo bar, it was the Bristow Bar in the Sheikh Rashid building.

[rogleale]

You're right Tipcap. I was the temporary CE at Paull three months to introduce the Wessex whilst the CE was being trained up. Having just returned from two years in Port Harcourt the February weather in Yorkshire was hard to stand. Stumpy distinguished himself during this time by buying two billy goats from a local farmer. Never did find out what happened to them!

Rogleale

[Tony Mabelis]

Hi Roger,
Nice to see you on here, all's well I hope.
I thought the zoo and the Bristow bar were one and the same, anyway it was priceless when Martin realised it was his own car!!
So was the saga of trying to get and fit the new windscreen.
I've just had my 1976 VW Camper fully restored.........its better than new!
Keep in touch,
Tony

[rogleale]

I have found a few pics of BHL ops in various places to post. Not many because unfortunately many more are being hoarded by my ex!
The first one is not one of mine and I don't know who took it but it shows ME talking to one of our locals. Das 1969

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/Das-1969.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/Das-1969.jpg.html)


FE Loaded For Ferry UK Lavan - Nov 1974

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/_RNL0832.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/_RNL0832.jpg.html)


Oh Dear!

Offshore Dubai - 1977. I can't remember why but I think that it was a turbine failure.

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/_RNL0831.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/_RNL0831.jpg.html)



One Of Those Days
During my very brief stay at Gulf Helicopters

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/_RNL0833.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/_RNL0833.jpg.html)

A Little Nostalgia -Twyford Moors Helicopters 1973
http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/TMH.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/TMH.jpg.html)

Abu Dhabi 1975

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/Abu-Dhabi-1.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/Abu-Dhabi-1.jpg.html)

Abu Dhabi Morning Start
My friend Phil supervising. Not only a friend but a good engineer, and later a very dependable deputy CE.

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/Abu-Dhabi-2.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/Abu-Dhabi-2.jpg.html)

[stacey_s]

Hi Roger

Private message sent

Stacey

[rogleale]

I hope it is not true nowadays, but we can still laugh!

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/cartoons0001.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/cartoons0001.jpg.html)


http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/cartoons0002.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/cartoons0002.jpg.html)

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/cartoons0003.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/cartoons0003.jpg.html)

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/cartoons0004.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/cartoons0004.jpg.html)

Roger Leale

[rogleale]

Finally!
http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/rogleale/cartoons0005.jpg (http://s423.photobucket.com/user/rogleale/media/cartoons0005.jpg.html)

[Dusty4501]

As the former chief engineer of the unit throughout its entirety, I can update/correct on a previous posting. We positioned at Manston from Redhill in May 1971 for a work up period prior to start of contract on 1 June 1971. Our 'patch' was Beachy Head to Clacton, overlaps being with RAF Coltishall and RAF Thorney Island. The trial period was successful and extensions were granted until, for political reasons (change of Government from Tory to Labour), came to an end on 30 Sep 1974. There were quite a number of hurdles to overcome. One major one was that the RAF was not particularly supportive of a civilian SAR unit (station C.O. to be precise) & would not give us priority for fuel, even though we were SAR, so BHL bought a 2nd hand bowser that we refuelled from and that, in turn was refuelled by the station bowser. The caption under the Wreck Shield photo was written by me. Award was for the most meritorious rescue in 1972, rescuing 3 fishermen under a capsized dinghy. We successfully trialled the first thermal imaging for offshore SAR. Our serviceability averaged 96%, vastly better than the RAF's 75% before us. A new ops room was built to our specification. Average take off time was 72 seconds after the scramble klaxon sounded. The a/c itself and its SAR equipment level differed considerably from its RAF/Navy counterparts to provide improved survivability for casualties and crew alike. Engineering crew comprised 4. The RAF returned with 2 Wessex Sep '74 with 25 technicians. At least 4 of the personnel shown in 2 of the photos have passed away. That's not surprising given that it's over 40 years ago. An irony is that the withdrawal of 22 Squadron's a/c in in 1969 was to go to Libya where a certain Col Gadaffi was staging a military coup. Manston set the bench mark for civilian SAR (we were all ex military anyway) and paved the way for BHL's expansion into a national service on behalf of the MCA.

[Oldlae]

Read your PM's

[Dave Ed]

Ex G-BDIJ taken today.....


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/S61/ExBDIJ.jpg

[chopper2004]

Dave,

Looks like a new S-61T Triton in use by the DoS?

Cheers

[Dave Ed]

Not quite a Triton upgrade.
New blades but avionics mainly back to basics.
All the Bristow SAR avionics and EHSIs are no more.
She has seen a few transformations over the years and travelled a bit!


61751 G-BDIJ,9M-AYF,G-BDIJ,N436LC,N751AW


Born 1975 and that makes 39 years old. A lot younger than many of us that flew, modified and maintained her.

[unstable load]

Dave,
Where is she working now?
I miss those old birds!

[Dave Ed]

Where is she working now??
Unfortunately with all this heightened tension in the region I am not at liberty to say.....

[S61N1977]

The very good old days of the S61N, flew as a passenger on theS61N from 1977 till 1988, off shore Terengganu, namely on 9M- AVO, AVP, AVQ,AWN(BBHN),then came AYF, AYT. Ten years off shore flying only one Engine failure due to free wheel slip. The bird that took us to work and brought us home safely. I will never
forget the S61N and Bristow Helicopters. A real work horse.

[Dave B]

I remember talking to a Sikorsky rep. when the 61 was still the mainstay of the North Sea fleet, and all the operators wanted new blades and engines. Sikorsky said OK they will do it, if the operators would put some money up front, but none would.

[heli1]

Looking at the background looks like Akrotiri to me.

[Fareastdriver]

Looks like it to me as well.

[Oldlae]

I was informed by Jean Dennel yesterday the sad news that Jim Ward died last week of lung cancer.

[mtoroshanga]

RIP Jim You were a good friend to me for more than forty years.

[terminus mos]

Sad news. Sharky was a hangar floor fixture at Redhill in the good times.

[TipCap]

Sad to hear Sharky has gone. There aren't many of us real old timers left :eek:

TC

[Ainippe]

Sadly 40+ years of service and still a good few to go for me:{

[pzu]

Just seen this on Kindle at £0.49p, may interest some folk

Alan Bristow: Helicopter Pioneer: The Autobiography eBook: Alan Bristow: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store


PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)

[Mushroom_2]

Seems a trifle expensive to me!

[Dusty4501]

In 1975, post packing up SAR Manston, I was sent to the Manchester Shipping Canal with pilot Ken Bradley to off-load G-AODA from a rum ship, the Linguist, recently docked from Trinidad. After re-assembling it dockside, we flew DA to Manchester Airport, refuelled, and then on to Redhill. Ken's cockpit door came off in flight, indicative of the corrosion the aircraft had suffered. Bill Petrie, Jack Woolley & Alan Bristow met us at Redhill, a nostalgic return it seemed. Some time later I was told to C of A it ready for urgent training use. Just do a 'cursory' survey I was told by WBP & JD. This LAE does not do 'cursory' surveys! After replacing a considerable amount of corroded hardware including some 1,500 rivets, it got its new C of A but it was a far better aircraft to withstand the rigours of training and base checks. I went back to Iran to do a C.Eng leave relief (Jim Lay) on Kharg for 3 months and later the same year for a complete second tour.

[Ainippe]

Does any on else on here remember Mac? If so is he still alive and kicking?

[Dusty4501]

I remember him well but you'll know Mac was always his own man and tended to pop up as if from no where. Since I took VR in May 2004 as apprentices manager etc, I won't have seen him since at least 5 years or so before that at Redhill. He would pop up and see Chas Newport and self in BHL Technical Services until about 2000. After that I really don't know. Wish I could be more helpful.

[Saint Jack]

This discussion may be confusing some of the older former Bristow people on the forum. During my tenure with Bristow there were actually two 'Mac McCormack's', there was (if I remember correctly) Mathew McCormack and unrelated Mike McCormack. The one being discussed here sounds like Mathew.

[Oldlae]

It is Mathew, an American, he came out to Singapore to help me change a MGB on a Whirlwind and crate up the aircraft which was being shipped to Jeddah. He then lived in Merstham, but not seen for a long time.

[Ainippe]

Yes it was the American I was referring to. I liked him always seemed a nice guy.

[Dave B]

If I remember correctly G-AODA was the last Whirlwind in Bristow service, it was working for British Aerospace helping to develop the Brimstone Missile. It must have been around 98, I went to the works to do a check one, and found it parked between a Hunter, and a Buccaneer, it was looking a bit sad, and was getting some criticism from BA engineers, so I advised JD to get it back to Redhill for a weekend to have some of the rivets knocked back in.
I don't know exactly what it was doing, I don't think we were allowed to know, but it was cleared by the CAA to operate at zero altitude over the missile ranges.
The missile went on to great success in Libya and Iraq, and I believe its foreign sales potential is good.

[Dave Ed]

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whirlwind/sandietank.jpg

[Dave Ed]

And.............


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Redhill/Bfisher3.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whirlwind/redhillgaoda.jpg

[Phil Kemp]

Mac McCormick did indeed live in Merstham - in fact one of my colleagues here in Canada grew up living next door to him! I'll get an update...

[heli1]

Nice anecdotes on AODA....keep them coming to add to the story of this Aircraft,now of course at The Helicopter Museum.

[Tony Mabelis]

I had the pleasure of working for a month or so with Mac McCormack overhauling WS/55 G-AODP in the summer of 1968, getting it ready for a ferry flight to Warri.

Super guy, he lived down the road from me in Radstock Way, Merstham.
He was earmarked to be the engineer to fly on the ferry flight to Nigeria, but had a few problems at home, which did not allow him to do so.

Being the type of guy he was, he went to Mack Macaskill and recommended me to do the flight instead.....the rest is history.

I do hope he is still around, I shall be watching this thread with interest.
Tony

[heli1]

Doing a bit of research into G-AODA there are some discrepancies with a couple of the previous comments.
Firstly the vessel "Linguist" appears to have been scrapped in 1969 and I can find no trace of a replacement with that name since,so the 1975 memory appears suspect?
Secondly the photo caption suggesting DA was the first conversion is definitely incorrect.It was actually the 14th ,going through the process between Feb- July 1965.
Finally the markings Heli Taxi are intriguing. Were these carried for its time in Iran between 65 and 68?
Christmas Quiz?!

[stacey_s]

Can someone list all the registrations she held in her career, I know I worked on her at some point in time, could of been Nigeria, Dubai or UK, Oh! by the way Chaps Merry Chistmas and a Happy New Year from Doha.
Luv to all

S

[Oldlae]

Stace. DA was in the FTS when you were there.

[Thridle Op Des]

I believe it was used as Command Course machine (amongst other things) at Redhill in late 70's - early 80's

[heli1]

The only overseas registrations on file for DA are 9Y-TDA and EP- HAC.

[hico-p]

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k149/toestafford/Mayaro-9YTDA_zpsb5abc3e2.jpg

Here she was at Mayaro - probably 1969. Many happy hours spent flying around Trinidad - usually with some blades on!!

Neil Leppard was CE - can't recall the other engineers. Marcel Avon CP with Mike Dean.

[HOGE]

Alas, for those of you seeking Mac, he died a couple of years ago, according to my brother who knew his sons well.

[parabellum]

Heli Taxi was the name of the Iranian company that Bristow formed, hence EP-HAC, I think! :)

[bellboy]

I seem to remember the late Stan Richie doing the test flying for BAE

[Centaur]

Did my command course on DA with Mike Woods and Chunky Lord. Think Steve Hogarth flew the BAE trials...

[terminus mos]

Good old Stan, I used to enjoy our flights together in the S61N. He was a gent through and through.

[Tony Mabelis]

Thanks for the information about Mac.
Sad of course, but it was not unexpected, as he was at least 15 years older than me.
R.I.P
Tony

[Upland Goose]

Notes by Steve Hogarth (AKA Upland Goose) to the Friends of the Helicopter Museum.

"Delta Alpha goes to War !"

The Westland WS55 Series 3 Whirlwind G-AODA

"Delta Alpha, the "Duchess", had languished at Redhill for a number of years, inflicting her particular charms on a number of Command Course candidates, the cut and thrust of the commercial world a distant memory.
In 1980, Bristow Helicopters were approached to provide a capacious and economic aerial trials platform for the newly formed British Aerospace Dynamics, developing the multi-national "next generation" anti-tank missile. BAe Dynamics were hoping to win the important and lucrative guidance contract.

The Duchess, was selected as the platform and I was selected as the first trials pilot. Although I had flown the Whirlwind on my command course assessment in 1978, I had not needed to put it on my licence, as my first command had been low level survey work on the Bell 47 and the Bell 206 JetRanger.

The Duchess, Delta Alpha, was being heavily modified and having a new electronic tummy put in at BAe Stevenage.

It was 4 years to the day, of my first solo in the Hiller, that the High Chieftain of the Whirlwind clan, Stan Sollitt and I walked to the Whirlwind G-AYNP for my refamiliarisation and eventually my type rating.

Thankfully, it went well -- the Whirlwind charm lived on!

The BAe contract involved very low flying, all day, at 200 to 300 feet, in a 25 year old airframe. I had to be fully conversant with low-level engine failure procedures. The other Whirlwind expert, Paddy McCloughlin, ensured that I was ready -- I now really felt part of the clan.

Delta Alpha emerged from the workshops at Stevenage on the 9th June 1980 resplendent with a huge carbuncle (multi-faceted camera) on the starboard side".


"She then flew flawlessly for a number of years, with various pilots in UK and Europe, including 'Chippy' Stokes and Stan Ritchie and very much helped to develop the most advanced anti-tank missile guidance system known to man.

By this time, I had returned to the rough and tumble of the North Sea and the first Single Pilot IFR, offshore based, Bell 212 operation. The challenges were still coming, thick and fast!

I read recently of the "Whisper S-55s" over the Grand Canyon in the USA.

Why not over the lovely countryside of Britain?

The charm can still work -- I’m sure! I’ll be first in the queue"

As a life Member of the Friends of the Helicopter Museum I occasionally go to Weston-Super-Mare and am allowed to climb up the side of this wonderful helicopter. They also let me sit in my First Solo Hiller G-ASTP.

Great to read about these machines again. UG :ok:

[Buitenzorg]

I read recently of the "Whisper S-55s" over the Grand Canyon in the USA.

Why not over the lovely countryside of Britain?

From a post 5 years ago:

About the quiet technology S-55T, it was tried out at the South Rim base while I was there (as well as at Las Vegas around the same time). I wasn’t personally involved in the project but it seemed to me to be a combination of good ideas that were worth trying but didn’t work out in practice.

On the good side, the aircraft really was remarkably quiet for its size and moreover, the sound it produced was rather inoffensive. Whether it was coming, going, hovering, passing overhead or to the side, all one would hear was the same low hum. No clattering, pounding or whistling at all.

The passenger capacity of 9 was the highest allowed without a 2-man flight crew being required. This is important because of the restrictions imposed on aerial tours over the Grand Canyon: the number of flights per year is limited to a fixed number so using larger aircraft will allow operators to continue growing their business.

Passenger visibility was very good with large windows and a transparent panel in the floor, kind of like a glass-bottomed boat in the air.

On the downside, the concept of limited upgrades to a very old design caused serious problems. The aircraft required a large amount of daily maintenance, to the point where it was hurting our B206L operation as all mechanics who might have helped with minor problems (e.g. a blown light or freeing a stuck linear actuator) were busy preparing one S-55 for service; even so it never was ready for the first flight of the day.

The main rotor had been made quiet by slowing it down and adding two blades (from 3 to 5) to maintain adequate lift, but combined with the old airfoil this gave the aircraft very nasty retreating blade stall characteristics, a real concern with the high DAs in the Grand Canyon in summertime. Whereas the LongRanger would give plenty of warning from increased vibration followed by cyclic shake, remaining fully controllable, one S-55 pilot told me of being rolled “nearly inverted” without any warning – bad for business if there are any paying passengers on board! The aircraft was slow anyway but this required seriously limiting load (I don’t remember it ever carrying pax in all 9 seats) and airspeed (cutting down on tour route for the same flight time, bad for customers, or increasing flight time for the same tour route, bad for operator).

Finally, the main transmission wasn’t up to the task. I don’t know if this was caused by keeping the original transmission and running it at lower speed or what, but every aircraft I know of (at least three) required replacing the MGB at about 200 hours TIS, an unacceptably short service life.

On proper reflection the (IMHO correct) decision was taken to stop throwing good money after bad, and buy the EC130 when it would become available.

[Upland Goose]

Buitenzorg.

I really appreciate your notes on the Whisper S-55. I always thought there would be limiting factors, but as a 'dreamer' there was always the hope that the S-55 airframe would endure like the DC-3 has - but alas not possible it seems. Thanks again. UG:sad:

[Good Vibs]

I've enjoyed my hours as pilot in the S-55 & WS-55 piston.
The three blades were foldable for storage.
Any good photos of the rotor head for the 5 bladed one?

[Dusty4501]

Re the query about the ship's name, whatever records may say, in this respect the entry is wrong. I have never forgotten the occasion, even down to its finest detail because the media was there too since re-assembling and flying a helicopter from the dock side was not an everyday event! Jim (Mac) Macaskill gave me the name, Linguist, as advised by Shipping. The Port Authority at the Manchester Shipping Canal directed me to where Linguist was berthed. In the hold, DA stank of rum since that was the ship's main cargo. After off-loading, Ken Bradley helped me spread the blades. On start up I had to do stop the Port fire service from extinguishing the huge flame from the exhaust as it cleared itself of inhibitor.

Indeed, Heli Taxi was the name before Iranian Helicopters. I did two tours there, '68 -'70 and '75 - '78. EP-HAK (Khorramshar WS.55/3, EP-HAM (AB204 Shiraz etc that 'died' on a beach near Bushehr and left there), EP-HBG (Shiraz etc B204B), 212 EP-HBM (BOC & got left behind) + Kharg's 212's & BOC's 206.

I was involved in the conversions of G-AYTK & G-AYNP ('70-'71) with Bob Potts, Dave Camp & Dave Barrow et al, then supervised their SAR conversions with Dave Camp (DC) for Manston. JD was hangar foreman. It was DC that recommended me to Mac & WBP for Manston, bless him! Kindest regards Dusty

[heli1]

So what happened to the Whisper Jet S-55s? What are they doing today or were they scrapped?

[Fareastdriver]

There is a good article written about 2008 with pictures.

Remaking a classic | Vertical Magazine - The Pulse of the Helicopter Industry (http://www.verticalmag.com/features/features_article/remaking-a-classic.html)

[The Expert]

Found clearing out the office
http://i59.tinypic.com/i2rtj9.jpg

[The Expert]

http://i62.tinypic.com/k9dtt2.jpg

[The Expert]

Fair Isle - returning from Scatsta
http://oi62.tinypic.com/29enm7b.jpg

[The Expert]

S61 looks right, sound right and it is right
http://i61.tinypic.com/23w6053.jpg